McDaniel escapes with 70-64 win at Swarthmore
SWARTHMORE, Pa. – T.J. Odunlami (Columbia, Md./Atholton) netted a career-best 18 points to lead McDaniel in a 70-64 victory at Swarthmore in Centennial Conference (CC) men’s basketball action on Wednesday. Kevin Henry (Potomac, Md./Bullis School) and Chris Prior (Westminster, Md./Westminster) also reached double figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively, for the Green Terror (13-7, 8-5 CC), who clinch its first 13-win season since 1982-83. Prior added 12 rebounds.
Ian McCormick led the Garnet (5-15, 1-12 CC) with 24 points, including hitting 11 of 16 attempts at the free-throw line.
Trailing 53-52 on a McCormick layup with 9:01 to play, McDaniel reeled off the next seven points to take a 59-53 lead just 1 minute, 48 seconds later.
A McCormick short jumper and Matt Kurman 3-pointer pulled Swarthmore within one a minute and a half later.
Clinging to a 66-64 lead with 1:59 showing, a Henry jumper on the next Green Terror possession coupled single free throws from Odunlami and Steve Wilson (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon) in the game’s final 36 seconds set the final margin.
A McCormick basket-and-foul gave the Garnet an early 3-0 lead before a pair of Ryan Finch (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon) free throws and Odunlami jumper gave McDaniel its first lead, 4-3.
After Steve Wolf gave the hosts a 5-4 edge with 17:27 to play in the first half, Prior converted a basket to spark a 6-0 burst over a 2-minute, 17-second span to give the Green Terror a 10-5 lead.
Finch, who finished with nine points, stretched the McDaniel advantage to as much as eight midway through the stanza.
Still trailing 24-17 after Chad Arrington (Randallstown, Md./Randallstown), who saw his first significant action since Jan. 12, converted 1 of 2 free throws for his only point of the night at the 6:32 mark, the Garnet finished the half on an 18-10 burst to take a 35-34 lead into the break.
A Wilson jumper and Odunlami steal-and-basket gave the Green Terror a 38-35 lead 1:41 into the second half.
McDaniel stretched the lead to as many as five before an 8-2 burst over a 2-minute, 17-second span turned a 50-45 deficit into a 53-52 lead for Swarthmore.
Wilson added nine points for McDaniel.
The Green Terror returns to action at No. 21 Ursinus on Saturday. Game time is 3 p.m.
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