FREDERICK, Md.--Senior Chad McGowan converted a conventional
three-point play with 17 seconds remaining to give the visiting
York College (Pa.) Spartans (12-6, 7-2 CAC) a 75-73 victory over
the Hood College men's basketball team (12-6, 6-3 CAC) Saturday.
In a battle for first place in the Capital Athletic Conference
standings, the Blazers and Spartans squared off for the second time
this season with York looking to avenge a 74-68 loss back in
November and snap a three-game losing skid in the series
with the defending regular-season champion Blazers.
Hood erased a 14-point second-half deficit and managed to take
their first lead since the first 1:20 of the contest on a pair of
free throws by Ryan Junghans with 2:37 to go in regulation. Nate
Lanford knocked down a jumper 19 seconds later to knot the score at
70-70. But the Blazers regained the lead on a three-pointer by Mark
McGlone with 1:44 to go off a feed from Anthony Bennett.
After a York timeout, Levi Winters connected on his team-best
10th field goal of the afternoon to cut it to 73-72 with 1:09 left.
Hood then called timeout but, when play resumed, a jumper by
Junghans was off the mark and McGowan hauled in the rebound. York
burned another timeout to set up the potential game-winning play.
McGowan, York's All-American forward, converted a runner in the
lane and drew contact on the attempt. He completed the
old-fashioned three-point play to make it 75-73 York with 17 ticks
to go. A three-point try by Mike McCarrick in the closing seconds
rimmed out and Pat Kelley came down with the board. It appeared
that Kelley traveled after grabbing the board but time expired
before the referee's whistle sounded and the Spartans escaped with
the victory.
Bennett paced the Blazers with 17 points off the bench while
Junghans finished with 14, including 7-of-7 from the foul line.
McCarrick notched a career-high nine points, all on three-pointers.
McGowan led all scorers with 23 points while Winters had 22
points on 10-of-20 shooting.
The Blazers next travel to the University of Mary Washington
Wednesday for an 8 p.m. league contest with the Eagles.
