Box Score Cresson, PA - The Mount Aloysius men's basketball team lost a back-and-forth battle to visiting Medaille on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 77-74 in AMCC play.
Medaille held a five-point lead at 74-69 after Erik Simmons made two free throws with 1:30 remaining in the ballgame. The Mounties cut the deficit to two points on their next possession as
Dillon Bender drilled a three-point shot, and after forcing a Maverick turnover the Mounties tied it up as
Nolan Doyle hit a layup with 48 seconds left on the clock. After Medaille held the ball, the visitors took the lead once again on a jump shot from Cooper Calzonetti with 17 seconds showing. After Bender missed a jumper to tie it, the Mounties fouled and Medaille hit one of two from the line.
Arin Wade was then long on a three-point shot to tie the game as the buzzer sounded.
The visiting Mavericks held a slight lead early on until two Wade free throws tied the game at 19-19 with 8:58 to go in the opening half. The game was tied at 25-25 after
Tanner Thomas was good on a layup with 4:26 to play. The Mavericks then went on an 11-4 run to take a 36-29 lead into the halftime break. Medaille stretched their advantage to double digits at 51-41 with 13:52 left on the clock, and the Mounties responded by chipping away to tie it up on a
Darius Beresford bucket with six and a half minutes to go. Medaille then regained a slight lead heading into the game's final stretch.
Wade and Thomas paced Mount Aloysius with 19 points each, and Wade grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Bender scored 18 points, and Doyle added seven points and five assists.
Calzonetti led Medaille with 18 points, while Ryan Grandits registered 14 points and six rebounds.
The two teams were nearly identical in all major statistical categories.
Mount Aloysius falls to 5-8 in conference play heading two important conference games next week. The Mounties will host Penn State Altoona on Wednesday before a trip to D'Youville on Saturday. Mount Aloysius is currently tied with D'Youville for sixth in the standings.
