MAC Commonwealth Championship Game
Lebanon Valley 70, Albright 68
LVC Starters
Light, Bugg, Anderson, Orr, Boccanfuso
Albright Starters
Lindsay, Rowles, DeLascio, Smith, Oplinger
How It Happened
This one had it all: clutch shots, a wild atmosphere, back-and-forth action, and a title win for the ages. Another incredible chapter has been added to the storied Lebanon Valley vs. Albright rivalry.
Lebanon Valley men's basketball won its ninth conference championship and its first since 1995 thanks to a last-second, 70-68 victory at longtime rival Albright on Saturday afternoon. In doing so, the Flying Dutchmen (18-9) earned an automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
Sam Light turned in one of the greatest postseason performances in program history in the win, scoring 35 points, including seven jumpers from beyond the arc, to go along with six rebounds and a pair of steals. He was named most valuable player (MVP) for his efforts.
With LVC trailing 68-67 in the final moments, Caleb Barwin came away with an offensive rebound and found a wide-open Ricky Bugg. With ice water in his veins, the senior guard coolly knocked down the biggest 3-pointer of his life to put the visitors back in front with less than 10 seconds to play.
The Lions got one last look at a potential game-tying basket but MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year DeJuan Smith couldn't get his layup to fall and Andy Orr grabbed the loose ball as the buzzer sounded, sending the Dutchmen faithful streaming onto the court at the Bollman Center as the frenzy of a thrilling championship victory came to fruition.
After trading the lead five times in the final eight minutes, both teams locked in for a frenetic finish that saw Smith bury a 3-ball to put Albright ahead by one with 36 seconds remaining. His go-ahead bucket came after the Dutchmen built a four-point lead with a minute and a half left after a pair of free throws by Light and a contested layup in the paint from Bugg.
Lebanon Valley trailed for much of the first half and into the second before Light's jumper with 8:32 left to play put his squad out in front by one for the first time since the 14:06 mark of the opening half. Over the next five minutes, Light put the offense on his back and netted 14 points in a row for LVC.
After trailing by as many as 12 in the first half, the Dutchmen closed out the period on an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to a more manageable 30-27 at the break. During the crucial stretch, Bugg added a pair of baskets, Will Boccanfuso swiped a steal from Albright's Fred Rowles before laying it in in transition, and Chris Anderson beat the buzzer with a fastbreak lay-in of his own.
Two Decades In the Making
Lebanon Valley's MAC Commonwealth Championship is the team's first outright conference title since the 1995 season; Brad McAlester's first as head coach of the program. The Dutchmen were tops in the Commonwealth in 1999 but lost to Wilkes in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Final. Prior to Saturday's victory, LVC's most recent conference championship appearance came following the 2010-11 campaign.
What They're Saying
"I'm just really proud of our players, especially this special group of seniors," said LVC head coach Brad McAlester. "I couldn't be happier to see them get to experience a conference championship and the NCAA Tournament."
Inside the Numbers
- Both teams shot better than 40 percent from the field, with LVC finishing at 43.6 percent and Albright shooting 41.9 percent.
- After struggling at times this year, the Dutchmen shot well from the foul line when it mattered, going 13-of-16 on the day (81.3 percent).
- Lebanon Valley scored 21 points off Albright turnovers.
- The Dutchmen won the battle on the boards 34-33.
- LVC shot an outstanding 66.7 percent from 3-point territory in the second half. Four second-half triples came from Sam Light, another from Luke Stambaugh, and the game-winner from Ricky Bugg.
- Light was incredible in earning MVP honors. He scored 35 points, including 24 in the final 20 minutes, on 7-of-10 shooting from distance and added six boards and two steals.
- Bugg was the only other Dutchman to reach the double-digit scoring mark with 11. After a stellar game against Lycoming on Wednesday, he followed it up with another big-time effort this afternoon.
- Despite early foul trouble, Andy Orr stuffed the stat sheet and finished with nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, and pair of blocks.
- Will Boccanfuso grabbed seven boards and swiped a game-high three steals.
- Chris Anderson added six points, while Stambaugh and Andrew Eberhart combined for seven tallies off the bench.
- Lebanon Valley's most-recent conference title is its ninth overall and its first MAC Commonwealth Championship since the league split into two separate conferences.
- Men' basketball's conference title is LVC's first team championship in any sport since softball completed a three-peat in the spring of 2015.
Who's Next?
The NCAA Division III Championship Tournament Selection Show is set for Monday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. The Dutchmen will learn the opponent and location of their first tourney contest at that time.
Stay Connected
Be sure to follow @lvcathletics on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage of LVC athletics.