YORK, PA-The York College men's basketball team improved to 3-0 in overtime games this year with Wednesday's 84-78 Capital Athletic Conference overtime win over Marymount University at the Grumbacher Center. The Spartans, winners of two straight, improve to 11-6 overall and 6-2 in the conference. The Saints fall to 8-8 overall and 3-5 in the league.

The two teams struggled early before Marymount broke through and forged an early lead. The Saints led by seven twice with the second time coming on a pair of Patrick Prewitt free throws with 11:01 remaining in the half. The green and white fashioned an 11-4 run capped by a pair of Nick Brady (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) triples that tied the game at 24 with 6:15 showing on the clock. The Saints answered with a Marc Mazzuchi three that gave the Saints a lead they would not relinquish the remainder of the half. The Spartans trailed 37-32 at the break which is not usually a good thing for the home side. York has trailed at the half just five times heading into the game and they were 1-4 in those previous five contests.

The Spartans began the second half with an 8-2 spurt that gave them their first lead of the game on a thunderous Chad McGowan (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown) dunk just three minutes into the second stanza. That began an extended run of lead changes and ties during the second half. From the 17 minute mark until the two teams were tied at 70 with a minute remaining, there were 11 lead changes and four ties. No lead was greater than the six point advantage Marymount enjoyed twice. York's largest advantage during that stretch was just two on a Nate Lankford (York, Pa./West York) three with 2:30 left in regulation.

With 1:14 remaining in the second half, Saint standout Fred Stanback converted a pair of free throws to give Marymount a two point lead. Spartan freshman Matty Foley (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) hit a tough lay up in traffic, tying the game at 70 with a minute remaining. Marymount came up empty on their next offensive trip thanks to a great defensive stand by the green and white. York's possession ended with Lankford getting a great look from three in the corner off a great pass by McGowan only to have the ball lip out as the teams headed to overtime.

In the extra session, senior Levi Winters (Manchester, Pa./Northeastern) made a free throw to open the scoring for York. Stanback continued his monster night with an other tough shot to give the Saints their only lead of overtime. Foley then came up big with a three with 2:57 left. Brady followed with another three after a defensive stop to push the York lead to 77-72. After Stanback split a pair of free throws, Foley hit another big shot in traffic to push the York lead to six at 79-73. Stanback converted two more free throws but Foley tallied his sixth and seventh points of overtime with a 15-foot baseline jumper that gave the green and white an 81-75 lead. Stanback wasn't done as he hit a three with 28 seconds left, cutting the York lead to three. Foley split a pair of free throws, York got a steal and McGowan capped the win with a huge dunk as the Spartans won their third CAC game in extra time.

McGowan paced the Spartans with a double-double as he had 24 points and 13 rebounds. The senior All-American was 8-for-13 from the floor and 8-for-13 from the free throw line. He also added three assists, three blocked shots and two steals in a season-high 43 minutes of action. Lankford recorded a career-high 21 points as the senior was outstanding. He added eight rebounds, three steals and two assists for the green and white. Lankford was 7-for-13 from the floor including a career-high four threes while he was 3-for-4 from the line. Foley was huge for the Spartans as he notched a career-high 14 points in addition to pulling down two rebounds and handing out two assists. Brady was the fourth Spartan in double figures with 14 points.

Stanback gave one the best individual performances in the short history of the Grumbacher Center as he tallied 37 points for the Saints. He was 11-for-18 from the floor, 5-for-7 from three, and 10-for-13 from the free throw line. He also pulled in a team-high eight rebounds for Marymount. Stanback scored all eight of Marymount's points in overtime. Stephen Simoneau added nine points and five assists while Shaun Ingram chipped in with eight points and five rebounds for the Saints.

York finished the game shooting 47.5% from the field including 40% from three. The Spartans' free throw shooting prevented them from winning in regulation as they shot just 51.6% from the charity stripe for the game. Marymount converted 42.4% from the field for the game including a blistering 10-for-25 (52.4%) from three for the game. The Saints were solid at the line, making 17-of-22 (77.3%).

Marymount held a slight 40-39 edge in rebounding while York forced 17 turnovers that the green and white converted into 19 points including five in the extra session. The Spartans took care of the basketball, committing just 12 turnovers for the game.

The green and white return to action on Saturday when they travel to Hood for first-place showdown with the Blazers. Hood and York are locked in a three-way tie with Mary Washington for first place in the CAC at the midway point of the conference schedule. Tip time on Saturday is set for 4:00 pm.

BOX SCORE 

Nate Lankford photo courtesy of Eric Linsley