WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Freshman Issak Bodon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) posted nine points in the final 64 seconds, including a perfect 6-of-6 effort at the free throw line, to help the Lycoming College men's basketball team clinch the top seed in the upcoming Commonwealth Conference Tournament with a 67-59 win over Lebanon Valley on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Lamade Gym.
 
Bodon finished with 13 points and a career-high three blocks, but his biggest impact came in the final two minutes, when he finished a solid possession by the Warriors (17-7 overall, 12-3 Commonwealth) by getting a pass from sophomore Nykolas King (New York, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science & Math) and knocking down a triple from the corner to make it 60-54. After a Lebanon Valley charge, the Warriors turned to Bodon to catch the inbounds bass, where he was fouled. He hit both to make it 62-54.
 
Zach Mrozek hit a 3-pointer in response to make it 62-57 with 38 seconds left, but Bodon was fouled on the inbounds once again and he hit two more free throws. On the Dutchmen's next possession, Bodon blocked a shot of bounds and then hit two more free throws after a technical foul was called on Lebanon Valley, making it 66-57 with 25 seconds left and ensuring the win.
 
The win, combined with a Stevenson loss at Hood, helped Lycoming clinch the top seed in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament, which begins on Monday, Feb. 23. Lycoming will host the conference semifinals against the winner of Monday's play-in game between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. This is the third time since joining the Commonwealth Conference in 2007-08 that the Warriors have earned the top seed in the conference tournament, also doing so in 2008 and 2010.
 
King led the Warriors with 19 points and seven rebounds and freshman Chris Wallace (Randallstown, Md./Calvert Hall) finished with nine points, five rebounds and two steals. Both senior Patrick Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) and freshman Alex Newbold (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) finished with eight points. Senior Malcolm Covington (Springfield Gardens, N.Y./Blessed Sacrament) also added seven points and seven assists, as he became the fourth player in school history to post 100 assists in back-to-back seasons.
 
The Warriors shot just 33 percent in the first half and headed into the break down by five, but came out firing, shooting 56 percent (15-of-27) and overpowering the Flying Dutchmen (12-11 overall, 6-8 Commonwealth), who shot just 42 percent (13-of-31) and went to the free throw line just once in the second half.
 
Lebanon Valley led by as many as six in the second half and by five at 41-36 with 13:20 left after a dunk by Andy Orr. King got the Warriors going with a pair of fastbreak layups before a charge call against Lebanon Valley led to Lycoming's first lead of the second half, as Covington hit a jumper with 11:09 left. After a steal by Bodon, he finished off the play with a layup on a dish by King to cap the run of eight straight points.
 
The two teams fought through two ties and three more lead changes, with Lebanon Valley taking a 54-53 lead with 3:34 left before the Warriors took the lead when Newbold hit a pair of free throws and they never lost that lead again, closing the game on a 14-5 run.
 
Kevin Agnew, the conference's top scorer, finished with 22 points and three assists and Orr posted 19 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Mrozek added 11 points, seven assists and three steals.
 
The Warriors wrap up the regular season on Tuesday, Feb. 17, when they head to Stevenson for a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader. The women tip at 6 p.m. before the men at 8 p.m.