Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Senior guard J.D. Byers tipped in his own missed shot with 22 seconds remaining in overtime, and Lebanon Valley snapped a four-game losing streak with a 61-60 win over Susquehanna in Commonwealth Conference men’s basketball action Saturday afternoon at O.W. Houts Gymnasium.

Byers finished with a game-high 23 points for Lebanon Valley (13-5, 5-4 CC) while Bubba Mills posted 22 points and 10 rebounds for Susquehanna (3-17, 0-10 CC), which lost its eighth game in a row.

The Crusaders led 60-59 following a three-pointer from Mike Malko with 1:51 left. Susquehanna had a chance to extend their lead, but T.J. Parry missed a lay-up with 33 seconds to go. Sophomore forward Brian Wolensky pulled down the rebound, setting up Byers’ game-winning shot.

Susquehanna had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds, but the Crusaders lost the ball out of bounds with 3.6 seconds left. Although Susquehanna retained possession, Mills turned the ball over with 1.6 ticks showing, and LVC grabbed a long inbounds pass to run out the clock.

Sophomore guard Jimmy Curran added 14 points and shot 7-for-9 at the foul line for LVC while senior center Brad Stigelman had eight points, six rebounds, and three blocks before fouling out with 6:11 left. Senior forward Steve Buzinski and junior forward Dan Hogan pulled down eight rebounds apiece.

Malko finished with 21 points and nine rebounds for the Crusaders.

Lebanon Valley led by seven (56-49) with 3:09 remaining in regulation following a three-pointer from sophomore guard Hunter Bretschneider, but the Crusaders rallied with a 7-0 run to pull even with 23 seconds left. Curran missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 12 seconds remaining, but an errant Susquehanna pass gave the ball back to the Dutchmen with 4.1 seconds to go. Byers attempted a jumper at the buzzer but had it blocked by Mills.

The Dutchmen led for nearly the entire first half and enjoyed its biggest lead of the afternoon (27-18) following a Stigelman lay-up with 3:18 left in the opening period. However, Susquehanna ended the half on a 7-2 surge to cut the deficit to 29-25 at the half.

Lebanon Valley picks up its schedule on Wednesday, when it hosts Moravian College at 8 p.m. in the second game of a men’s and women’s doubleheader.

[Photo - Senior guard J.D. Byers, who scored a game-high 23 points and made the game-winning tip-in as LVC defeated Susquehanna 61-60 in overtime on Saturday]

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