READING, Pa. – Lebanon Valley sophomore
Reed Melvin hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 36 seconds left to give the men's basketball team a thrilling 78-76 victory over Albright College on Saturday evening at the Bollman Center in the season opener.
Behind a career night from Melvin, Lebanon Valley erased a second-half deficit and snapped an eight-game losing streak against Albright. Melvin poured in a game-high 28 points to power the Dutchmen to a big win over their long-time rivals in the first game of the
Matt Miller era.
LVC came out firing early and looked poised to take control from the opening tip. Three-pointers from Melvin,
Najeh Allen, and
Michael Main helped the Dutchmen race to a 13-3 advantage less than five minutes into the contest. The lead swelled to 17-7 after
Toby Ojukwu scored four straight points midway through the half, and back-to-back triples from
Demarcus Bandy pushed Lebanon Valley ahead 23-14.
Albright gradually worked its way back into the game behind Semaj Robinson and Dominic Awahmukalah. After trailing by as many as 10, the Lions chipped away over the final eight minutes of the opening half. A jumper by Awahmukalah cut the deficit to one at 32-31, and Albright eventually grabbed its first lead at 35-34 on a Justin Turner basket with 1:36 remaining. Ojukwu calmly knocked down two free throws with four seconds left to send the teams into halftime tied at 36-36.
The second half featured 11 ties and multiple lead changes as neither side could gain separation. Melvin opened the period with a three-pointer, and Allen quickly followed with one of his own to give the Dutchmen a 42-38 edge. Every LVC push was answered by the hosts. The Lions eventually took control during a critical stretch midway through the half, using an 8-0 run to turn a 53-51 deficit into a 59-53 lead with 11:29 to play.
Albright continued to hold the advantage and built its largest lead of the second half at 66-56 following a Joey Callahan three-pointer with 8:43 remaining.
Najeh Allen started LVC's comeback with a layup as the Dutchmen scored the next 11 points. Melvin scored four points towards the end of the run as he attacked the basket to pull the Dutchmen within one at 66-65. Allen then converted a fastbreak layup after a defensive stop to put Lebanon Valley back in front, 67-66, with 4:55 left. Albright reclaimed the lead at the foul line before Melvin answered yet again with a tying layup. Turner put the Lions ahead 71-69 with 3:35 remaining, but Melvin responded with a jumper to knot the game at 71-all.
Tyler Kerlin then gave LVC a 73-71 lead on a drive to the basket with 2:46 on the clock. After both teams traded defensive stops, Albright tied the contest at 73-73 when Miles Smith scored on a putback with 1:09 remaining, setting the stage for a memorable finish.
Following a timeout, Lebanon Valley turned to Melvin one more time. With 36 seconds left,
Michael Main found Melvin on the perimeter. The Dutchmen sharpshooter rose up and buried a massive three-pointer, putting LVC in front 76-73. Albright had a chance to answer, but Joey Callahan misfired from beyond the arc. Bandy secured the rebound, and Main was fouled with 13 seconds remaining. The graduate forward calmly stepped to the line and knocked down both free throws to stretch the lead to 78-73. The Lions refused to quit. Justin Stanton scored with seven seconds left, and after a missed free throw, Albright had one final chance. Joe Bueno-Blyden converted one of two free throws with one second remaining, but the Dutchmen successfully ran out the clock to secure the dramatic 78-76 victory.
Inside the Box
- Melvin led all scorers with a career-high 28 points. He also had five rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and two assists in the win.
- Allen recorded a huge double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The junior added two assists, one block, and one steal.
- Bandy finished with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.
- Main dished out the biggest assist of the night and filled the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and one block.
- Ojukwu scored eight points and was a perfect 6-for-6 at the line with two assists, one rebound, and one steal.
- Tyler Kerlin poured in seven points and grabbed three rebounds with three assists.
- The Dutchmen ended an eight-game skid against Albright and defeated the Lions for the first time since 2020.
- LVC scored 19 points off 16 Albright turnovers and only committed 13 themselves.
- The win gave Head Coach Matt Miller the first of his career in his first game leading the Dutchmen.
Up Next
LVC will face another former conference rival next Friday, November 13, as they make the short trip to Grantham to face Messiah University for a 7 p.m. tip.
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