A 3‒pointer from sophomore forward Charlie Sims with 3:04 left gave the Lycoming College men’s basketball team a late lead, but regionally-ranked and second-place University of Scranton scored the final 3 points, including a pair of free throws with 2 seconds remaining, to escape with a 70-69 Landmark Conference win on Wednesday night, Feb. 11, at Lamade Gymnasium.

First‒year guard Noa’Sosa Friedman led Lycoming (6‒16 overall, 2‒13 Landmark) with 23 points on 10‒for‒13 shooting while adding three assists and two rebounds. Senior guard Isaiah Valentine posted nine points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and junior forward Hayden Pardoe – a Central Mountain graduate – provided 11 points, including three 3‒pointers. Senior forward J.J. Beagle – a Williamsport graduate – added nine points and nine rebounds.

In the second half, Scranton (17-4 overall, 11-4 Landmark) put together a 21-8 run from 13:52 to 7:08, fueled by Sammy Tornabene and Brendan Carr, tying the game at 55-55 after Carr hit two free throws. Beagle restored the lead with two free throws at 6:48 to make it 59-55, but Scranton tied it again at 65-65 on a Tornabene 3‒pointer with 3:36 left.

Sims answered with a 3‒pointer at 3:04 to put Lycoming ahead 68-65, and Valentine added a free throw at 1:11 for a 69-67 lead. Scranton closed within a point at 69-68 on a Tornabene free throw with 1:00 remaining.

The Warriors used nearly the whole possession clock and got the ball back with a jump ball, but on it’s last possession the Royals took their first lead, as Carr hit a pair of free throws with 2.8 seconds left.

Lycoming opened the game on a 12-5 run, and Lycoming added a 20-12 run to strech the lead to 32-17 with 5:50 left in the first half after a driving layup from Valentine. After Scranton cut the margin to 32-23, Lycoming scored eight straight points, with a Friedman 3‒pointer at 1:33 and Valentine three at 0:58 helping Lycoming lead 40-25 at halftime.

Scranton opened the second half with a 7-2 run to make it 42-32 before Lycoming pushed the lead back to 49-37 with a pair of Friedman jumpers and a bucket from Pardoe with 13:31 remaining.

Scranton was led by Tornabene’s 27 points, and Nick Ruisi added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Lycoming shot 25‒for‒58 from the field and 9‒for‒19 from 3, turning nine Scranton turnovers into 13 points.

Lycoming heads to Moravian University on Saturday for a 4 p.m. Landmark Conference matchup.