WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Down by five with 5:45 remaining, senior Brendon Blackson (Laurel, Md./Laurel) led the Lycoming College men's basketball team by scoring eight points during a 10-point run that helped Lycoming surge past the University of St. Joseph (Conn.), who is receiving votes in the latest D3hoops.com poll, 77-73, to open St. Joseph's Holiday Tournament on Friday evening, Dec. 29.
 
The Warriors (5-5 overall) will now play for the St. Joseph Holiday Tournament title against UMass-Dartmouth (4-5 overall), 83-80 overtime winners over Wentworth in the first game of the tournament, on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 3 p.m.
 
Four Warriors finished in double figures and two grabbed at least 10 boards, as they outrebounded the Blue Jays, 46-37, and shot 41 percent from 3-point range (12-of-29) while St. Joseph hit 4-of-21 from deep against the Warrior defense.
 
The Warriors are just the fifth team to beat St. Joseph at James A. Calhoun Gymnasium since 2019, a run of 57 games.
 
Senior Steven Hamilton (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville Area) led the Warriors with 16 points and four assists, Blackson added 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, first-year Hayden Pardoe (Mill Hall, Pa./Mill Hall) added 12 points and 12 rebounds and sophomore J.J. Beagle (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) notched 10 points and four rebounds. Both sophomore Isaiah Valentine (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) posted nine points, 11 rebounds and two assists and junior Ivan Komitski (Sofia, Bulgaria/Lee Academy) also had nine points, as he joined Hamilton and Blackson with three 3-pointers.
 
Down 66-61 after a jumper from Tyree Mitchell with 5:45 left, the Warriors began their run off a 3-pointer late in the shot clock from Blackson, then Blackson hit a layup with 4:05 left to tie the game. After a missed St. Joseph free throw, the Warriors answered deep in the shot clock again with a jumper from Pardoe, then Blackson hit a huge 3-pointer with 1:26 left to make it 71-66.
 
The Warriors hit 6-of-8 at the free-throw line in the final 90 seconds to ice the game, while St. Joseph was only able to close within a possession once, with eight seconds left at 76-73.
 
The Warriors started the game on a 19-8 run in the first 7:17 and after the Blue Jays fought back to take a one-point lead with 10:04 left, the Warriors embarked on a 14-2 run to lead 33-22 with 4:08 left, helping them lead 35-26 at the end of the half.
 
The Blue Jays used the first seven minutes of the second half to take a five-point lead at 50-45, embarking on a bulk of the game's 10 lead changes and two ties in the next seven minutes before Blackson ignited the Warriors on their game-winning 10-point run.
 
Jalen Samuels led the Blue Jays with 23 points and 13 rebounds and Mitchell added 21 points and eight rebounds. Jared Simmons also posted 14 points.