No. 21 Ursinus escapes with 68-66 victory over McDaniel
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Nick Shattuck recorded a game-high 23 points to lead No. 21 Ursinus to a 68-66 victory over visiting McDaniel in Centennial Conference (CC) men’s basketball action on Saturday. Brett Foelber (Sykesville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons) led the Green Terror (13-8, 8-6 CC) with 16 points, including eight points in the final 1:33 to hand the Bears (18-2, 14-0 CC) its closest loss of the season.
John Noonan (14) and Matt Hilton (10) also reached double figures for Ursinus, who assured itself a first-round bye in the upcoming CC tournament and became the first team in conference history to start the CC slate 14-0.
After 12 ties and nine lead changes in the game’s first 33 minutes, Shattuck hit a 3-pointer with 6:53 to play to give the Bears a three-point lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the way.
A Hilton three-point play with 3:53 to play capped a 10-3 run to give Ursinus a 61-54 lead.
Still up seven two minutes later, Foelber’s eight points coupled with a T.J. Odunlami (Columbia, Md./Atholton) layup trimmed the deficit to 67-66 with 12.0 seconds on the clock.
With 11.5 seconds on the clock, Noonan made the front end of a 1-and-1 to push the lead to two.
After a McDaniel violation awarded Noonan a second chance at the second attempt, Ursinus committed a lane violation to give the Green Terror a chance, down two.
A foul at midcourt gave McDaniel the ball with 7.7 seconds to play. Odunlami drove the lane but his layup rolled off the rim as the final horn sounded.
Tied at 14-all with 12:23 showing on the first-half clock, the Bears reeled off eight of the game’s next 10 points to take a 22-16 lead with 9:37 remaining.
Seven straight points from the Green Terror gave the visitors a 23-22 lead en route to a 38-27 halftime edge.
Ryan Finch (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon) added 11 points for McDaniel.
The Green Terror returns to action at Dickinson on Wednesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
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