(Bronx, NY) - It was everything to be expected when two fierce local rivals get together for their annual Men's Basketball battle. Mount Saint Vincent and Lehman College, two of the three Division III Men's Basketball programs in the Bronx, two programs with proud traditions, and two teams that detest losing to each other. On Wednesday night, the annual match-up could only be described in one word ... unforgettable.
A 56-50 Lehman lead with 3:30 remaining in the game led to a furious Mount Saint Vincent comeback as a Lehman turnover with eight seconds remaining in the game allowed sophomore Tim Biolsi (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) to hit a three-point basket two seconds later to tie the score at 57. The points were Biolsi's only three of the game and seemed to force an overtime session. However, after a timeout, Lehman had one final possession, and a desperation half-court three-point attempt by Rafael Bueno at the buzzer banked off of the backboard and into the basket to give the Lightning the dramatic win.
Junior Derek Charlton (Yonkers, NY/St. Raymond's) notched his first double-double of the 2006-07 season with 19 points and 13 rebounds, freshman Marquise King (Albany, NY/Albany HS) scored a game-high 21 points, and the Dolphin defense allowed a season-low 60 points, but the Dolphins fell short thanks to a tough shooting night. Mount Saint Vincent dominated time of possession via a 39-29 rebounding advantage and took 61 shots compared to Lehman's 46, but the Mount shot only 36% from the floor, while Lehman converted 52% of its field goal attempts, including a 16 for 28 (57%) effort from the floor during the second half.
Despite the loss, the positives outweighed the negatives on Wednesday night for the Mount. It was a back-and-forth affair from the start as both teams enjoyed early leads but neither seemed to want to pull away, and Mount Saint Vincent enjoyed a slim 23-20 lead at halftime. The second half saw both teams pick things up offensively a bit, but neither team enjoyed a lead of more than six points at any point. For Mount Saint Vincent, the defensive effort was crucial as a starting line-up that features three freshmen, a sophomore, and a junior matures heading into Skyline Conference play. The Mount also shot a season-high 66% from the free throw line.
Mount Saint Vincent returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 2 when they return home to face arch-rival Yeshiva University for their Skyline Conference opener at 8:00 p.m.
