WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Mason Barnes lifted an off-balance runner just over a Lycoming College men's basketball defender that fell through with 1.2 seconds left to lift DeSales University to a 54-53 MAC Freedom win in a battle for first place at Lamade Gym on Saturday, Jan. 15.
 
A turnover gave DeSales (14-1 overall, 6-0 MAC Freedom) the ball with 13.2 seconds left. The Warriors (10-6 overall, 5-2 MAC Freedom) fouled a pair of times to bring the clock down to 5.6 seconds. Barnes got the ball back after his inbounds and drove the lane, throwing up an off-handed hook that fell in off the backboard.
 
In a game with five lead changes and seven ties, the Warriors took their last lead with 1:27 left when junior Dyson Harward (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) kicked out to senior Matt Ilodigwe (Wilmington, Del./Concord) in the left corner for a 3-pointer. In the ensuing 86 seconds, each team missed a shot, setting up the final play.
 
Sophomore Steven Hamilton (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville Area) led the Warriors with 19 points and five rebounds and Ilodigwe added 13 points, hitting three 3-pointers. Harward contributed his conference-leading ninth double-double of the year, posting 10 points, 15 rebounds and three assists. Junior Mo Terry (Severn, Md./Severn School) added five points and three assists.
 
The Warriors started the game on an 18-8 run, with Hamilton leading the run in the game's first 10:49 with seven points, while DeSales opened the game by hitting 3-of-14 from the floor. The Bulldogs scored the next 14 points and went on a 19-2 run that was finally snapped when Hamilton hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the first half to make it 27-25 at the break.
 
A pair of 3-pointers, one from Ilodigwe and one from Harward tied the game at 31 with 16:23 left, starting a five-minute period where the game was tied three times. Timmy Edwards capped a run of seven straight DeSales points to make it 44-37 with 9:13 left and Lycoming went on a 10-3 run, with Hamilton hitting a driving layup to tie it at 47 with 5:53 left. A minute later, Harward hit 3-pointer to give Lycoming its first lead of the half, but DeSales hit two layups in response, setting up Ilodigwe's 3-pointer.
 
Edwards led the Bulldogs with 14 points. Elijah Eberly added nine to go with five rebounds and Matt Kachelries posted six points, three assists and three steals.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Wednesday, Jan. 19, when they head to Misericordia University for an 8 p.m. MAC Freedom tilt.