Warriors Outlast Crusaders in OT Thriller
Box score

WILLIAMSPORT , Pa. – It took an extra five minutes, but the Lycoming men’s basketball team improved to 4-2 at home and 4-4 overall with an 80-74 overtime victory over Susquehanna University in Lamade Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.  The Crusaders fall to 2-5 on the season.

Senior point guard Brad Musser ( Mifflinburg , Pa. /Mifflinburg) converted 6-of-8 free throws in the overtime period to help the Warriors separate from the Crusaders.  Lycoming made 2-of-4 shots in the extra frame, including a three-pointer, as Susquehanna tried feverishly to keep pace.  The Crusaders managed only one made field goal and trio of foul shots in overtime.

Musser exploded for a near double-double performance with 23 points and nine assists for the game.  All five of his field goals came from behind the arc as he shot a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point territory.  He also went 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.  Joining him in double figures was freshman post Greg Sye ( Chantilly , Pa. /Chantilly) with 15 points and senior forward Jonathan Pribble ( Woolrich , Pa. / Central Mountain ) with 11 points.  Sye also added 10 rebounds and three steals to the effort.

Susquehanna had a quartet of players in double figures led by 15 points from Brad Okonak.  Sean Ulichny dropped in 14 points followed by 12 from Chad Lauer and 11 points and nine boards from Matt Effler.

The Warriors went into the half up three thanks to a strong 16-of-25 (64.0 percent) showing from the field.  Musser was perfect shooting, draining a trio of three-pointers for his nine first stanza points.  He also had five assists in his 17 minutes of play.

In the second frame, the Warriors maintained a one-point advantage for the first five minutes before Susquehanna took its first lead at 46-45 with 14:25 left to play in regulation.

The Crusaders lead would reach a high of 51-47 following an Okonak three-pointer, but the Warriors drew even a pair of free throws each from junior forward Derrick Dull ( Ephrata , Pa. /Ephrata) and Sye.  The lead see-sawed between the teams until a Musser trey put the Warriors ahead 61-59 with 6:19 remaining in regulation.

Susquehanna gained some momentum and pushed out to a 67-64 advantage with less than five minutes left to play, but Sye reenergized the Warriors and the crowd with a huge rejection of an Effler turnaround jumper.  Pribble made the block payoff with a lay-up to cut Susquehanna’s advantage to one.

After a Dull lay-up tied the score at 69-69 with 57 seconds left in regulation, Sye came away with a steal to give Lycoming the final possession and a chance to win in regular time.  Pribble took a deep off-balance three-pointer with just seconds remaining that fell harmlessly off the front rim to send the squads into overtime.

Lycoming controlled the ball for much of the extra frame on the way to securing victory.

The Warriors are next in action on Saturday, December 17, as Elmira visits Williamsport .  Game time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Lamade Gymnasium.