MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – For the second season in a row, the York College men's basketball team needed late-game heroics to pull out a victory at PSU-Harrisburg as the Spartans left the Capital Union Building with a 54-52 victory over the Lions for a critical Capital Athletic Conference win.

This time around, freshman guard Mike Frauenheim (Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. / Point Pleasant Beach) provided the heroics as he sunk both his free throws with 10 seconds left on the clock to put the Spartans (8-9, 4-6 CAC) ahead 54-52. The freshman guard was sent to the free-throw line after he was fouled in the backcourt dribbling the ball up the floor right after the Lions (10-6, 5-4) had drained a game-tying three-pointer. Frauenheim finished with a season-high eight points to go along with a season-high 23 minutes.

Ironically, free throw shooting is what ultimately clinched the victory for the Spartans as they shot a season-low 53.8% (14-for-26) from the free-throw line. For the season, York is shooting an average of 74.9% from the charity stripe.

The Spartans displayed a lot of grit and determination as they dug themselves out of a first-half shooting slump to comeback and eventually take the lead midway through the second half. York opened with a six-minute scoring drought (0-for-7) while finishing the first half shooting just 5-for-20 (25.0%) from the field and 1-for-8 (12.5%) from the free-throw line. The Spartans flipped the script in the second half as they went 13-for-22 (59.1%) from the field and 9-for-14 (64.3%) from the line.

Fortunately, the Spartans managed to overcome their offensive struggles with one of their best defensive performances of the season. York did a good job of controlling the lane and contesting shots and forced the Lions to shoot just 19-for-53 (35.8%) from the field. Harrisburg did not help its own cause with a 10-for-18 (55.6%) performance from the free-throw line. The Spartans tied a season-high with five blocked shots, led by Blayde Reich (Lebanon, Pa. / Lebanon) who totaled a career-high four shot rejections.

For the season, the Spartans are holding opponents to a 40.0% field-goal percentage and tonight was the eighth time they have held an opponent below that average.

York looked like a different team offensively in the second half, especially junior forward Dalton Myers (Finksburg, Md. / Westminster) who scored 16 second-half points en route to a 20-point performance. Myers also led the team in rebounding as he hauled in eight boards, including seven on the offensive end.

Sophomore guard Matt Scamuffo (Chalfont, Pa. / Central Bucks South) also did most of his damage in the second stanza as he scored seven of his eight points in the second half. Scamuffo also finished with a career-high four steals.

The Spartans remain in the hunt for a CAC playoff spot as they move into a five-way tie for fifth place with tonight's victory. Each remaining conference game is critical for York as the conference remains gridlocked in the middle.

Also note, in six meetings with PSU-Harrisburg since joining the CAC in the 2013-14 season, the visiting team has won each time the Spartans and Lions get together.

York returns to the hardwood on Saturday at Charles Wolf Gymnasium in a CAC clash with Salisbury at 3:00 p.m.

Mike Frauenheim photo courtesy of David Sinclair