MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – Host Morrisville State College men's basketball used an extra frame to get past visiting Alfred State College Tuesday night in Morrisville, downing the Pioneers in non-conference play by a 86-80 overtime final.
The win lifts Morrisville State to 17-6 on the season, as they head into the final weekend of regular season action against North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) opponents Penn St. Abington and Bryn Athyn College.
Kevin Dennis (Bronx, N.Y.) led the way for the Mustangs with a game high 26 points, adding 17 rebounds and three blocked shots, as teammate Trent Ward (Auburn, N.Y.) collected 19 points and three assists.
Unel Daley (Jamaica, N.Y.) registered a team best six assists.
Both teams played to a back and forth battle throughout the opening half, as they tied the score five times and changed leads 11, but it was a 7-0 run late in the period that gave the visitors the lead heading into the break, 37-35.
Much like the first half, the second proved to be no different as both exchanged leads six times. Morrisville State used a 9-2 run of their own midway through the period to regain a three point advantage, but momentum quickly shifted to the visitors who found themselves in control of the contest.
Alfred State jumped out to a six point advantage with 2:52 to go following a three by Justin Wallace, and maintained the slim lead until the 1:34 mark when Morrisville State started attacking the basket and closed out the half with the final five points, including two free throws by Kenny Bonaparte (Soundview, N.Y.) that tied the contest at 69 to force the overtime period.
In the extra time period, Morrisville State attacked the paint quickly as Ward found Dennis for the layup and go ahead bucket, and seconds later, Ward nailed the front end of two free throws to extend the host lead to three.
After a three by Wallace at 3:13 to make it a one point game, Morrisville State put together a 9-2 run to give the hosts the eight point advantage, 83-75, one that proved too much for the Pioneers to overcome in the final 46 seconds.
Ward and Dennis combined for 15 of the Mustangs 17 overtime points; Dennis, eight, and Ward, seven, as Morrisville State pulled away down the stretch to secure the victory.
Morrisville State returns to the court Friday, hosting Penn St. Abington (9-14, 8-10 NEAC) at 7 p.m. on the Mustangs home court.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2016 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2016 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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