JANUARY 19, 2005
BOB ZIADIE
SCRANTON RALLIES TO DEFEAT KING'S 76-73
WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College men's basketball
team led rival University of Scranton for nearly 33:00 of the game, but
the Royals rallied for a 76-73 victory in Wednesday Scandlon Gymnasium.
With the win, Scranton improved to 12-3 overall and 3-2 in Freedom
Conference action. King's, which dropped its second straight
conference game on its own floor, fell to 12-4 and 3-2.
King's built an early 17-6 lead when a red-hot Brian Horgan netted 12
points for the Monarchs. King's would continue to dictate the pace
and maintained a double-digit lead for virtually the entire half.
With the Monarchs leading 33-22, Scranton cut the lead to eight on a
three-point play by Brian O'Donnell with 4:59 on the clock. But Jim
Welsh would counter with a three-pointer for the Monarchs to push the lead
to 36-25 with 3:43 left.
Scranton, however, would close out the half with a 11-3 run capped by
back-to-back three-pointers from Randy Arnold and Mike McGowan.
In the second half, King's would extend the lead to 48-39 on a Vince
Scalzo basket but Scranton would go on a 15-6 run to tie the score at
54-54 on another three-point play from O'Donnell. The teams would trade
baskets until the 6:48 mark when McGowan's three-pointer gave the Royals
their first lead of the game at 65-64.
King's responded with a 5-0 spurt to take a 69-65 lead on a three-pointer
from Welsh with 5:08 left. With King's maintaining a 71-67 lead, Scranton
used a pair of foul shots from Randy Arnold, a bucket by O'Donnell, and a
three-pointer from Nick Alfier to give Scranton a 72-71 lead with 2:31
remaining. After Welsh missed the front end of a one-and-one the
teams traded misses before Patrick Clabby put Scranton ahead 74-71 on a
basket with 0:14 on the clock.
Horgan was fouled and made both charity tosses to pull King's to within
74-73 with 0:09 left and then fouled Alfier who canned both charity tosses
to give the Royals a 76-73 lead with 0:07.9 remaining.
King's would call timeout and ran its final play with Welsh's
three-pointer bouncing off the rim as Scranton walked away with the win.
O'Donnell led Scranton with 19 points and nine rebounds while McGowan
added 17. Arnold and Clabby followed with 13 each while Alfier chipped in
with 12.
Horgan paced King's with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Marty O'Hora
netted 21 points with five boards. Welsh chipped in with 14 points
for the Monarchs.
