NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – SUNY New Paltz junior Harris Wichard (Merrick, N.Y.) nailed a game-winning three-pointer with two seconds remaining to defeat Mount Saint Mary College, 91-88, in what appears to be a developing trend of close games between the two programs.
A trilling final five minutes culminated in New Paltz holding for the last shot with the game tied at 88. With the clock ticking down, Wichard received a pass at the top of the key. Several Mount defenders were in position to challenge the shot, but the junior drilled the three-pointer to send the Hawks to victory.
New Paltz led 74-64 with just under five minutes remaining in the contest, but Mount Saint Mary sophomore Lenny Ragaglia (Staten Island, N.Y.) caught fire from long range to single-handedly bring the Knights back into the game. Left open behind the arc at the 4:39 mark, Ragaglia connected to bring his team to within seven. Then, following an acrobatic steal by sophomore Dylan McCann (Staten Island, N.Y.) on the far sideline, Ragaglia swished another open look to make the score, 74-70, and force a New Paltz timeout.
A Wichard jumper at 3:34 pushed the New Paltz advantage back to six, but Mount Saint Mary junior Carlos Valdez (Carolina, Puerto Rico) made good on a three-point play at the 3:11 mark to cut the lead in half. Following a New Paltz miss on the ensuing possession, a long rebound set Valdez free for a thunderous dunk to make it a one-point game (78-77).
Wichard answered with a put-back layup at 2:39, but then it was Ragaglia's turn once again. The sophomore worked around a screen at the top of the key and knocked down yet another three-pointer to tie the game at 80, the first tie since the opening minutes of the game.
New Paltz junior Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J.) responded with a three-point play at the other end, but at the other end, the Hawks fouled Ragaglia on a three-point attempt. The Staten Island native drained all three attempts from the line to tie the game once more.
The fireworks didn't stop there, as New Paltz sophomore Nick Taldi (Merrick, N.Y.) sent his team back into the lead with a three-ball at the 1:25 mark. During a loose ball scramble at the other end, however, Taldi was whistled for a technical foul, sending Ragaglia to the line to make both tries and bring the Knights to within one (86-85).
With a chance to take their first lead of the game, Mount Saint Mary suffered a costly turnover. New Paltz junior Shareef Taylor (Hyde Park, N.Y.) took the ball the length of the floor and jammed it home for an 88-85 lead.
The Knights still weren't done though, and out of a timeout, McCann was left open in the near corner. The sophomore canned a three-pointer with 24 seconds remaining, tying the game at 88 and forcing New Paltz to score on their final possession for the win.
Valdez led all players with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Ragaglia racked up 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc, while senior Tim Morris (Greenwich, N.Y.) tallied 15 points. Freshman Chris Pisciotta (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) impressed in his collegiate debut with 13 points and McCann finished with six points and six assists.
The Knights couldn't find an answer for Shareef Taylor, as the junior shot 8-for-11 from the field to tie for a team-high with 20 points. Wichard connected on 5-of-6 attempts from downtown and also finished with 20 points. Devine made several key shots for the Hawks and wound up with 17 points.
The Mount never led and spent most of the contest digging out of an early hole. The Hawks connected on five of their first six attempts from long range and led, 24-7, just six minutes in. The Knights cut the deficit back to single digits at the first-half buzzer and trailed 44-36 at the break.
New Paltz's Wichard was also the hero of last year's game between the two teams. He hit two three-pointers inside the final 62 seconds to send the Hawks to a 60-56 victory in Newburgh.
Up next for the Mount is a trip to the Hartwick College Invitational. The Knights open up against SUNY Geneseo on Friday at 6:00 p.m.