MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Nine seconds. That's all the time that stood between 14th-ranked Christopher Newport and another mid-season Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) victory. Nine seconds. That's all the time that Penn State Harrisburg's men's basketball team needed to lay claim to the number one spot on our list of the top ten moments of the 2013-14 athletic season.
Weeks before the first opening tip of the year ever went up, the message being delivered to the Lions was clear: you're playing with the big boys now. By about 6 p.m. on Saturday evening, Jan. 11, Penn State Harrisburg's response was loud and clear: we wouldn't have it any other way.
Trailing the Captains 55-52 with :09 remaining in regulation, Penn State Harrisburg senior captain Will Doyle (Franklin, Va. / Tidewater Academy) took a handoff from freshman Marquese Daniels (Philadelphia, Pa. / Philadelphia Electric & Technology Charter), took three dribbles to his left and launched a fall-away three-pointer that found the bottom of the cup as he fell into the home bench.
With the score tied, 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation and the hometown crowd at the Capital Union Building (CUB) suddenly whipped into a frenzy, the seeds were planted for one of the biggest victories in program history.
Junior Joey Farthing (Lancaster, Pa. / Hempfield) intercepted Newport's last gasp desperation heave to send the thriller into overtime. Freshman Winton Lyle (Washington, D.C. / Bullis School) knocked down a jump shot less than 30 seconds into the extra session. The Lions never trailed again.
A Lyle layup and free throws by Farthing and senior captain Kenny Stone (Philadelphia, Pa. / Scotland) put the Blue & White ahead 60-55 with :34 left to play. Penn State Harrisburg's defense did enough to hold off the Captains down the stretch and the Lions earned one of the most memorable wins in school-history, a 63-60 decision over a highly touted Christopher Newport squad in the teams' first-ever meeting.
Stone finished with a team-high 16 points and six rebounds. Doyle poured in 14, including what was arguably the most clutch shot of his collegiate career, and Farthing collected a team-high seven rebounds to go along with his seven points.
The heart stopping victory remains Penn State Harrisburg's men's basketball program's only victory over a nationally-ranked opponent. In a year full of memorable moments, none was bigger than the Lions' last second takedown of one of the best teams in both the CAC and the country.
We thank you for reminiscing with us this summer. The 2013-14 season was one that saw many firsts, many outstanding individual performances and many unforgettable moments provided by each of our 12 athletic programs. What's in store for 2014-15? Be sure to stick around and find out…
The 2014-15 season officially gets underway on Friday evening, Aug. 29 when our men's and women's soccer teams and women's volleyball team take part in their first contests of the year.
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