WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Sophomore Dyson Harward (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) scored a team-high 17 points and six rebounds to pace a well-balanced scoring effort from the Lycoming College men's basketball team, as it handed DeSales University its first loss of the season, 75-62, on Thursday, March 12, in the first game of its final MAC Freedom home-and-home series of the regular season at Lamade Gym.

With the victory, the Warriors (4-1 overall) have earned a spot in the MAC Freedom Championship game. The game will be held on Friday, March 19 against DeSales (8-1 overall), but the location is yet to be determined. The Warriors had previously made six MAC Commonwealth Championship games in the past nine years before joining the MAC Freedom in 2020-21.

Aside from Harward, three other Warriors eclipsed double digits in the scoring column, as they never trailed, and after breaking the tie with a 3-pointer from junior Matt Ilodigwe (Wilmington, Del./Concord) just nine seconds into the second minute of play. Ilodigwe posted a season-high 13, which was propelled by converting on 3-of-his-first-4 3-point attempts.

Darius Dangerfield (Abingdon, Md./Harford Tech) put up 10 points after being honored as the team's lone senior before the game as part of a brief Senior Day ceremony. He has now posted double digits in four of Lycoming's five games this season, as well as 15 of his last 16 dating back to his 2019-20 campaign. Dangerfield added a game-high five assists as well.

Sophomore DeAundre Manuel (Brooklyn, N.Y./KIPP NYC College Prep) also added 10 points for the third straight game off an excellent 5-of-6 shooting performance. It's the first time in his collegiate career that he has strung together three straight games of 10 points or more.

The Warriors had no struggles putting up points, as they shot 30-of-49 (61.2 percent) from the field. It was their best single-game shooting performance since converting at a 66 percent rate in a 101-87 win over Elizabethtown on Nov. 26, 2013, a span of 189 games.

Lycoming was hot from deep throughout the night as well, as it was successful on 10-of-21 3-point attempts, or 47.6 percent, its best 3-point shooting performance since cashing in on 9-of-18 in a 67-63 victory over Alvernia on Feb. 12, 2020.

The Warriors were on fire from beyond the arc right out of the gate, sinking 5-of-10 in the first half, including a 3-of-5 clip from Ilodigwe, who tallied a team-best nine points for his squad before the break, as well as notching a first-half-best three assists. They carried a 39-33 lead into the locker room before picking up right where they left off when play resumed in the second half.

Six different players hit at least one trey for Lycoming, including Harward, who sunk a pair on his team's final two possessions of the night to finish 2-of-3 from long range just like Dangerfield.

Sophomore Mo Terry (Severn, Md./Severn School) and freshman Steven Hamilton (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville Area) each tallied eight points for Lycoming. Freshman Brendan Blackson (Laurel, Md./Laurel) added seven, and all three also hit a shot apiece from beyond-the-arc.

The Bulldogs' scoring efforts were led by Timmy Edwards, who posted game-highs in both points and rebounds with 19 and seven, respectively.

Lycoming will be back on the floor on Saturday, March 13, as it will head to DeSales to complete the MAC Freedom home-and-home set and wrap up their regular season at 4 p.m. If the Warriors win, they will secure home-court advantage for Thursday's conference final.