ALFRED, N.Y. – Sophomore Noah Mathis (Ewing, N.J./Notre Dame) tipped a pass out of bounds with 19 seconds left, then forced an airball with 11 seconds left before senior Isaiah Valentine (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) hit a free throw with eight seconds left to help the Lycoming College men's basketball team post a 76-73 win over Alfred University to advance to the championship of the Crossbar Alfred Classic on Friday night, Nov. 7, at Alfred State's Orvis Activities Center.
 
The Warriors (1-0) move on to face the winner of the other first round game between Alfred State and Hiram at 5 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 8, at Alfred University.
 
A last-second 3-pointer clanged off the rim, finishing a second half where the Warriors held the Saxons (0-1) to 27 percent from the floor (9-of-34). Lycoming, meanwhile, shot 56 percent (27-of-48) for the game and 53 percent (9-of-17) from three.
 
Valentine finished with 20 points, seven assists and two steals, moving within four points of 900 in his career and junior Connor Shanahan (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) posted 24 points and four steals. First-year Elisha Slabach (Cleona, Pa./Annville-Cleona) posted 12 points and five rebounds, hitting all seven of his free throws. First-year Noa'Sosa Friedman (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) and senior J.J. Beagle (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) each added six points. Friedman posted eight rebounds and Beagle posted five to go with a block.
 
Down by 13, the Saxons worked back into the game with a 15-4 run to make it 68-66 with 4:49 left after a free throw from Tyler Curran. Curran cut the lead down to a point at 74-73 with 1:32 left, but Friedman hit a free throw with 1:07 left before the Warriors forced a turnover as the clock ticked under a minute. A Saxons steal set up the defensive stand from Mathis as the clock ticked under 20 seconds.
 
Alfred hit two free throws to start the second half before Slabach ignited a run of 12 straight Lycoming points by hitting a 3-pointer and following it with three made free throws after being fouled behind the line. Shanahan hit a layup to give Lycoming it's first lead at 45-43 and the Warriors continued to press, with Friedman converting an old-fashioned 3-point play with 9:21 left to make it 64-51.
 
Alfred jumped out with the first six points of the game before Valentine drove in for a layup and getting the offense going, as he hit a 3-pointer with 15:26 left to make it 14-10. Alfred was able to keep it a two-possession game until Valentine canned another 3-pointer, this time with 6:16 left to make it 29-26, and he got the Warriors within a point at 36-35, with another layup with 1:43 left in the half. The Saxons scored five points to close the period, including banking in a 3-point buzzer beater to take a 41-35 lead at the break.
 
Amoi Charles posted 20 points, seven steals and six rebounds and Tyler Curren posted 15 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Saxons, who finished 14-12 last year and reached the Empire 8 Championship semifinal in 2025.