WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.—Lycoming’s men’s basketball team defeated the College of New Jersey by a score of 58-56 in the consolation game of the Lycoming Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday.
Warrior point guard Eric Anthony (Wheeling, WV) led the team with 14 points, and shared the team lead of three assists with fellow guard Jemayne Nowlin (Gaithersburg, MD). Nowlin knocked in seven points on the day, including Lycoming’s only three-pointer of the first half.
Anthony had nine of his points in the first period, while sophomore Ricky Varnell (Patterson, NY) claimed eight of his ten points before the break. But the TCNJ Lions wouldn’t go away and the score at halftime was knotted at 31.
The Warriors grew a lead in the second half, eventually holding a ten-point differential of 57-47 with 6:58 remaining. But then Lycoming went cold, and nearly scoreless, for the remainder of the contest. They gradually allowed TCNJ back in the game, until Warrior Greg Sye (Chantilly, VA) sank a key foul shot with five seconds left on the clock.
The shot followed a crucial blocked shot by sophomore James Oberlies (Philadelphia, PA). TCNJ’s Steve Feinberg drove free to the basket looking to give his team the lead, when out of nowhere, Oberlies leapt through the air and swept the ball off the backboard. The game-saving play, as well as Oberlies’ eight points on the day, earned him a spot on the All-Tournament team.
Fellow All-Tournament members were King’s Vince Scalzo, who was also the Tip-Off Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, TCNJ’s Jeff Molinelli, PSU-Altoona’s Quintin Dziabo and King’s Jamie Cousart.
In the tourney’s championship game, a talented King’s squad narrowly defeated a scrappy, well-coached PSU-Altoona team by a score of 61-59.
Lycoming plays at home again on Tuesday, November 20 against cross-town rival Penn College at 7:00 p.m. at Lamade Gymnasium.