FROSTBURG, MD – Frostburg State's James Peters hit a contested off-balance three at the buzzer to give the host Bobcats a 77-74 Capital Athletic Conference win over the York College Spartans Wednesday night in Frostburg, Md.
The win lifts the Bobcats' record to 3-21 overall and 2-14 in the CAC. The loss ends the Spartans' CAC season at 3-13 while their overall record now stands at 4-20 with one game remaining in the season.
Peters' game-winner followed an exciting final five minutes of the game. The Bobcats led 73-64 on Jabari Kamau lay up with 4:58 left in regulation. That bucket capped a 15-4 FSU run as the Bobcats looked like they were going to finish the Spartans off. However, York got a Joey Feinberg (New City, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) triple to start the Spartan comeback. Feinberg's three started a 10-1 Spartan run that tied the game on a Feinberg free throw with 15 seconds left in regulation.
The Bobcats called timeout and had the ball go out of bounds off a Spartan with just over five seconds left. James got the ball with the clock winding down and threw up the game winner as the ball was out of his hand before the horn, giving the Bobcats the dramatic win.
York fell behind early in the first half but wasted little time in getting back into the game. York built a eight-point lead on a B.J. Enck (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) tip in at the 9:22 mark. The Spartans held on to the lead until the Bobcats tied the game at 27. That would be the first of four ties over the final 5:10 of the half. York would get a Matt McNeely (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) lay up with 32 seconds left in the half to take a 37-36 lead to the break.
The opening 11 minutes of the second half were back and forth with four ties and nine lead changes. Neither team had a lead of more than five points over the stretch before Frostburg State would start the run that eventually gave them a nine point lead.
James led all scorers with 33 points on 12-of-24 shooting including 3-of-8 from three. James was 6-for-8 from the free throw line while he also had four rebounds in 35 minutes of work. Nick Smoot added 15 points and six assists as he was the other Bobcat in double figures. Kamau contributed eight points while he pulled in a game-high 11 rebounds. Aaron Bellamy dished out a game-high seven assists for FSU. He also had five points and a game-high five steals.
Senior Mike Mathews (Newark, Del./Salesianum) led York with 20 points and nine rebounds in his 38 minutes of action. Mathews was 7-for-13 from the floor and a season-best 6-for-8 from the free throw line. He also snared four steals in the game. Feinberg contributed 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal for YCP. Enck was the third Spartan in double figures with 11 points while McNeely chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Both squads shot a similar percentage but the Bobcats attempted 15 more shots in the game despite being outrebounded by eight (42-34). The Spartans committed 23 turnovers in the game as Frostburg turned those miscues into 25 points. The Bobcats also dominated the scoring in the key as they held a 46-28 margin in points in the paint.
The game featured 15 ties and 12 lead changes in what proved to be a highly entertaining collegiate game.
The Spartans conclude their 2013-14 regular season on Saturday when they host Southern Virginia in a non-conference contest. Tip time is scheduled for 3:00 pm. Prior to the game, York will honor their three seniors in their annual Senior Day ceremony.