ANNVILLE, Pa. – In a game with 12 ties and 11 lead changes, the Lycoming College men's basketball team broke the last tie with 42 seconds left and hit 7-of-8 from the line in the waning seconds to lift itself to the program's first series sweep of Lebanon Valley since joining the Commonwealth Conference in 2007-08 with the 77-72 win at the LVC Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 28.
 
"We found a way to do it (Saturday)," Lycoming head coach Guy Rancourt said. "We need to make some strides, but I am very happy."
 
After a Dutchmen free throw, the Warriors (16-3 overall, 6-2 Commonwealth) hit a pair of buckets to take a 39-35 lead, but the Dutchmen (10-9 overall, 3-5 Commonwealth) answered right back, as the teams exchanged five ties and four lead changes in the first five minutes of the second half before junior Ihsaan Davis (Jamaica, N.Y./Christ the King) and freshman Chris Foreman (Union, N.J./Union) hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Lycoming a 49-43 lead with 14:30 left. The Dutchmen fought back again, cutting the lead to two points before Foreman hit another 3-pointer.
 
Lycoming kept Lebanon Valley between two and five points behind it for the next eight minutes before a jumper from Danny Brooks made it a one-point game with 6:23 left. Davis responded with a 3-pointers, but three straight buckets by Lebanon Valley gave it a 62-60 lead with 4:14 left. The two teams five ties and three lead changes in the next three minutes before a pair of free throws from junior Anthony Martin (Detroit, Mich./Christ the King) gave Lycoming a 72-70 lead. A steal by junior Jerald Williams (Riverdale, Md./Bladensberg) led to another made free throw with 21 seconds left, but Joe Meehan hit a pair of free throws to make it 73-72 with 10.5 seconds left.
 
From there, senior Mike Bradley (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) hit four free throws in the final seconds to ice the win.
 
"He refused to let us wither," Rancourt said. "His toughness and the energy he brings was what made the difference for us."
 
The Dutchmen started the game with a 10-2 run and extended the lead to as many as nine before keeping the lead between six and eight points until there was less than five minutes left in the first half when Davis knocked down a 3-pointer, igniting a 17-8 run that helped the Warriors take a one-point lead into the half. Davis gave the Warriors' their first lead of the game at 33-32 with a 3-pointer on a give from sophomore Mike Rudy (Danville, Pa./Danville) and a jumper by Bradley with 16 seconds left closed the scoring in the half.
 
After shooting 25 percent from the field the first 14 minutes of the game, the Warriors closed the first half by hitting 8-of-10 from the field in the last six minutes, leading to the turnaround run. Lebanon Valley shot 52 percent (10-of-19) from the field in the half.
 
Bradley led the Warriors with 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals and Davis posted 14 points, six rebounds and two assists. Off the bench, a trio of players finished in double figures, as Martin, Foreman and sophomore Kevin Anthony (Columbus, Ohio/Bridgton Academy) each added 12 points. Lycoming hit nine 3-pointers in the game, firing up 21 behind-the-arc.
 
Brooks led the Dutchmen with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Joe Meehan added 18 points and four assists. Cameron Prince notched 14 points and seven rebounds and Jordan Stewart added 10 points and eight boards.
 
The Warriors head home for a pair of Commonwealth Conference doubleheaders in early February, starting with one against Albright on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The women tip at 6 p.m. before the men play at 8 p.m. at Lamade Gym.