SAN JUAN, P.R. – Running down a rebound of a missed free throw before spinning and firing from the right sideline, senior
DeAundre Manuel (Brooklyn, N.Y./KIPP NYC Prep) swished through a 3-point shot with a second left as the Lycoming College men's basketball team upset undefeated University of Scranton, 68-65, in non-conference action on Monday, December 19, the first day of the Puerto Rico Classic, at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum.
Fouled with five seconds left, senior
Mo Terry (Severn, Md./Severn School) tied the game with a free throw. When the second of Terry's free throws bounced from the rim, Manuel grabbed the rebound on the right sideline and turned and fired in one motion, finding nothing but net. Manuel's 3-pointer stopped the clock with 0.4 seconds left, and after the Royals inbounds was intercepted by senior
Dyson Harward (Danville, Pa./Danville Area), the team crashed upon Manuel 120 feet away at the other side of the arena.
The Warriors (7-4 overall, 2-1 MAC Freedom) were led by first-year
Isaiah Valentine (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) with a career-high 16 points, two steals, two assists, six rebounds and a block, as he hit a career-high four 3-point shots. Harward finished with the only double-double of the game with 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, three blocks, and three assists. Manuel added 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Junior
Steven Hamilton (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville Area) led the team in assists with six and nine points.
The Warriors had 28 points in the paint and shot 45 percent from the field in a back-and-forth affair that had 15 lead changes.
The Royals (8-1 overall, 1-0 Landmark), who are receiving votes in the D3hoops.com poll, took an early lead before Harward opened the scoring for the Warriors with a 3-pointer. Harward led the team in the first half with eight points and Valentine followed with six, hitting two 3-pointers. Nine Warriors helped score 35 points in the first 20 minutes, and they overcame two six-point deficits. They ended the half with a three-point lead, though, as Hamilton canned a three off a rebound by Manuel to break a tie at 30, followed by a jump shot by Manuel to give Lycoming the lead at the break, 35-32.
Valentine led the team with 10 points in the second half as the Warriors jumped to a quick seven-point lead off a layup from Harward and a jumpers from Manuel and junior
Brendon Blackson (Laurel, Md./Laurel). The Warriors held the lead for the first 12 minutes of the second half, but the Royals came back to tie the game at 51 on a free throw by Jackson Danzig as part of a nine-point run that gave them a 57-51 lead with 6:02 left. Manuel hit a free throw and Valentine drained a 3-pointer in response and another Manuel layup made it 61-60 with 2:10 left. Valentine followed with another layup with 1:46 left, but the Royals took the lead with 31 seconds left off a pair of free throws from Danzig, setting up the final play.
The Royals were led by Stephen Braunstein with 20 points and eight rebounds, Jackson Danzig with 18 points, four steals, and nine rebounds and Tahaj Parland with 10 points and three rebounds.
The Warriors face Susquehanna University on the final day of the Puerto Rico Classic on Tuesday, December 20, for a 4 p.m. AST/3 p.m. EST tip-off.
