Pittsburgh, Pa. -- Mount Aloysius men's basketball defeated the Carlow Celtics for the second time this season on Saturday, February 3rd. 

The Mounties would start the game slow, committing three turnovers in the first three minutes to immediately fall in an eight point hole. The Celtics made the most of the extra possessions, hitting four threes in the first five minutes of the contest. Leading by as much as 15, Carlow would end the first shooting 50% from the field and 50% from deep as a team, while the Mounties barely held on shooting 44% from the floor without hitting a three. Most damaging were the struggles with free throws, as the Mounties would go just 2-10 from the charity stripe in the first half. 

The second half saw Carlow's shooting level off as the Mounties sprang to life, with forward Octavius Hardy (East Cleveland, Ohio, Euclid) cutting the Celtic lead to three after six minutes of the second. Carlow would continue to stay a couple possessions away from the Mounties until halfway through the half, where junior guard Will Hagwood (Willowick, Ohio, South) would assault the paint, getting to the line eight times in three minutes to push his team to their first lead of the contest. Back and forth for the rest of the half, Carlow found multiple opportunities to pull away, but sophomore guard Trent Ramirez-Keller (Gettysburg, Pa., Gettysburg) refused to allow it, hitting three threes in under five minutes to keep his team even with the hosts. Up three with six seconds to play, the Mounties defense would falter, fouling Carlow on a made three. With a chance to win, the Celtics would miss the final free throw of regulation, sending the game into extra time. 

The Mounties would find solid team basketball in OT, with six players scoring in the final five minutes. Doubling their opponents rebound count in OT, the Mounties would pull ahead to an eight point lead, eventually ending the game in a 95-89 victory. The Mounties defeated Carlow inside all game, tallying 17 more rebounds and 34 more points in the paint than their opponents, the difference maker down the stretch. Both teams struggle heavily with free throw shooting, with the Celtics going 13-21 and the Mounties shooting just 22-43. 

Mount Aloysius men's basketball takes on Wells College on the road this Wednesday, February 7th. Wells enters the contest 3-10 in the AMCC, coming off a 57-69 loss to Pitt-Greensburg.