Late Heroics Bring Warriors Victory
Pribble Jumper, Harper Block Secure Conference Win
Box score

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. --- Senior forward Jonathan Pribble (Woolrich, Pa./Central Mountain) hit an off-balanced jumper with 2:10 remaining for the final basket of the game as Lycoming College edged host Delaware Valley College, 57-56, in a Freedom Conference game.  The Warriors improved to 9-8 overall and 3-3 in the Freedom Conference while the Aggies fell to 4-12 and 1-5.

It was a back-and-forth contest that featured six ties and 14 lead changes. In fact, there was only one occasion in the final 11:18 of the game that a team held more than a one-point lead. That was at 6:25 to go as senior Patrick Baylor (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara) hit a pair of free throws to give Lycoming a 51-48 lead.

The Aggies’ Ryan Thomas hit a jumper and Isaiah Pinckney followed with a lay-up for a one-point Delaware Valley advantage with 5:04 to go. The teams then exchanged baskets and free throws, leaving the Aggies with a 56-55 lead with 2:27 remaining.

On Lycoming’s next possession, Pribble took a pass at the top of the key and hit a tough shot for a 57-56 Warrior lead. It remained that way into the final moments when Delaware Valley had the ball with 24 seconds left. Pat Lenahan missed a 3-pointer in the corner and the ball went out of bounds off a Lycoming player with 14.5 seconds remaining.

Following the inbounds, a miscommunication led to the Aggies passing the ball out of bounds. However, Lenahan stole the ball after the inbounds pass and he went up for a shot with 2.1 seconds to go. A Lycoming player tied him up, but the possession arrow favored Delaware Valley for one last chance.

Dominque Brown bobbled the inbound pass, recovered and went up for an off-balanced jumper in the paint. Warrior freshman post Shawn Harper (Piscataway, N.J./St. Joseph’s Metuchen) blocked the shot to preserve victory for Lycoming.

Pribble and freshman big man Greg Sye (Chantilly, Pa./Chantilly) led the Warriors with 17 points apiece, although neither had their normally strong rebounding numbers (Pribble- one; Sye – four).  The glass work was left to Baylor who took down a game-high eight boards.

Pinckney’s 18 points paced the Aggie attack followed up by a dozen from Thomas to go along with a team high seven rebounds. 

Lycoming scored the first 10 points of the game and still held a 17-9 advantage with 9:27 left in the first half. The Aggies responded with 13 straight points – five by Brown – for a 22-17 lead with 4:05 remaining. Delaware Valley eventually took a 30-27 lead into the intermission and had just one turnover in the first 20 minutes, compared to 14 by the Warriors.

Turnovers would loom large in the second half, or actually, the lack of them.  Lycoming tightened its hold on the ball, surrendering possession only six times in the latter frame.  Still, the Aggies only committed four themselves, but the Warriors’ increased ball-security afforded them improved offensive flow.

Lycoming is next in action on Wednesday, January 25, as the Warriors welcome DeSales University to Williamsport.  Game time of the Freedom Conference match up is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.