York (Pa) Shocks St. Mary’s with OT Win
York, Pa. - The York (Pa.) College men's basketball team battled St. Mary's College of Maryland to a 101-97 overtime victory as the Spartans handed St. Mary's its first Capital Athletic Conference loss of the season Wednesday night.
Junior forward Jeremy Keefer (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) and freshman guard Julian Watson (Odenton, Md./Arundel) combined for 15 of the Spartans' (4-11, 2-4 CAC) 18 points in overtime as YCP shot 71.4% en route to its upset of the defending CAC Champions.
Three Spartans scored 20+ points to key the victory as junior guard Nick Brady (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) led the way with a double-double on 26 points and a dozen rebounds. Keefer finished the night with 23 points, five assists, ad four rebounds, while Watson added 21 points, six assists and four steals.
The Seahawks (11-3, 4-1 CAC) controlled the game for the majority of the first half, leading 31-24 with 3:42 remaining in the half. York fought back with an 11-6 run behind seven points from Brady to only be down 37-35 at intermission.
St. Mary's sophomore guard Alex Franz (Catonsville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons) led all players at halftime with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting and seven rebounds, while Brady had nine points and six boards for YCP.
The Spartans shook off an early second half 47-42 deficit and went on to hold a marginal lead for the remainder of the second stanza, boasting an 80-75 advantage with 1:50 left in regulation. St. Mary's outscored YCP, 8-3, in the final 1:50 as senior forward Calvin Wise (Bel Air, Md./Calvert Hall) and junior guard Camontae Griffin (Baltimore, Md./Dunbar) combined for all of the Seahawks' eight points to force OT.
Franz was one assist shy of a triple-double as he tallied 19 points, 10 caroms, and a season-high nine assists. Griffin paced the Seahawks with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-23 shooting, while Wise and sophomore forward Mike Fitzpatrick (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) each notched 12 points. Senior center Alex Irmer (Alexandria, Va./Wakefield) chipped in 10 points, six rebounds, and a career-best three blocks.
St. Mary's will host the University of Mary Washington this Saturday, January 17 at 4:00 in a rematch of last year's CAC championship game. Mary Washington remains undefeated in conference action with tonight's 80-69 win over Gallaudet University. The men's game will be the second of Saturday's league doubleheader as the St. Mary's women face No. 21/22 Mary Washington at 2:00.
