WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – For the fifth time during its eight-game win streak, the Lycoming College men's basketball team had to overcome a second-half deficit, as the Warriors came back from a 3-point deficit with three minutes left to post a 90-88 win over a hot-shooting Wilkes University club in non-conference action at Lamade Gym on Saturday, Dec. 10.
 
"There is a reason that they are in first place in the Freedom Conference," Lycoming head coach Guy Rancourt said. "They're very talented. They have consistently proven to be a tough team. They make shots. They have good post play. They are an attacking team and they handled our press tremendously. I was proud of our guys for hanging in there and then finally sneaking in there and getting it done."
 
After a 3-pointer from Matt Mullins gave Wilkes (6-2 overall) an 80-77 lead, the Warriors (8-0 overall) got a huge lift when sophomore Kevin Anthony (Columbus, Ohio/Bridgton Academy) skied over the rim to get an offensive rebound and drop in the tip-in while being fouled. He completed the three-point play to tie the score.
 
After a missed Wilkes 3-pointer, the Warriors got the lead on a fastbreak layup, as junior Jerald Williams (Riverdale, Md./Bladensburg) found senior Mike Bradley (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) to start another traditional three-point play with 2:17 left. Lycoming never lost the lead again, as Wilkes cut the lead to one three times, with the last coming with eight seconds left after a pair of free throws from Kendall Hinze, but Anthony sealed the game with a free throw with five seconds left. A 3-pointer by Wilkes bounced off the back iron as time expired.
 
Despite shooting just 44 (32-for-73) percent while Wilkes shot 55 percent (35-for-64), Lycoming was able to use 25 Wilkes turnovers and 17 offensive rebounds to lead to 19 points off turnover and 16 second chance points.
 
The Colonels got out to a hot start, jumping out to a 13-3 lead and stretching the lead to as many as 12 points eight minutes into the game, but Lycoming responded with a 10-4 run capped by Bradley on a layup with 9:51 left to make it 25-20. Near the end of the half, Lycoming cut further into the lead, as a layup by sophomore Justin Miller (Agawam, Mass./Bridgton Academy) made it a two-point game at 39-37 with 3:32 left and the Warriors kept the Colonels within four the rest of the half, but could get no closer than two before going into the locker room down 46-43.
 
The Warriors tied the game at 50 on a 3-pointer by freshman Patrick Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood)  and a free throw from Anthony with 16:30 left in the game gave Lycoming its first lead at 54-53. From there, neither team held more than a three-point lead as the squads battled through seven ties and 13 lead changes before the Warriors controlled the last 2:17.
 
Bradley led the Warriors as he tied a career high with 24 points and he added seven rebounds and a block, as all five starters finished in double figures. Anthony posted 22 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. The pair combined for 33 points in the second half.
 
Junior Anthony Martin (Detroit, Mich./Christ the King) posted 12 points, five rebounds and two assists and Dougher added 12 points and two 3-pointer. Williams finished with a season-high 10 points, nine assists, six rebounds and five steals, moving within one assist of becoming the second player in school history to post 400 dimes in a career.
 
Hinze and Jourdan Wilson each scored 21 points for the Colonels, as Hinze also posted eight rebounds. Matt Mullins notched 19 points and eight assists and Cameron Hinkel notched eight points and six steals. Paul Huch added six points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
 
Lycoming gets back on the court after final exams by facing a high-scoring Mount Aloysius on the road on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 1 p.m.