Farmingdale State - 77; Mount Saint Mary - 72
NEWBURGH, N.Y. | Senior swingman Nick Hurowitz (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) scored 15 of his game-high 22 points in the second half Thursday night at the Kaplan Center, while junior Jovayne Walters (Cambria Hts., N.Y.) converted a conventional 3-point play with 33 seconds remaining, to put the Farmingdale State College men's basketball in front for good on its way to a 77-72 triumph in Skyline Conference action at host Mount Saint Mary College.
Hurowitz was one of four players to score in double figures for the Rams (12-6, 7-2 Skyline), who remain atop the conference's South Division standings, and pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds. He combined with Walters (11 pts., nine reb., four blk.) to shoot 5-of-5 at the free-throw line over the final minute of play, helping the visitors to ice a game that featured eight ties and 13 lead changes -- the last coming on Walters's 3-point play. Freshman forward Macai John (Hauppauge, N.Y.) came off the bench to score 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go with eight boards, while senior co-captain Corey Powell (Valley Stream, N.Y.) registered 10 points. FSC held a decided 51-29 advantage on the glass, and converted 22 offensive caroms into a 30-8 edge in second-chance points to help turn aside the host Knights (5-13, 2-6).
With MSMC up 18-13 eight minutes into play in the opening half, Farmingdale State scored the next seven points of the contest to push ahead by two at the 8:50 mark following second-chance lay-ins by Walters (9:50) and senior post Tre Riggins (Baldwin, N.Y.). The teams continued to trade baskets, with the Rams holding a 38-33 lead at the halftime break after John buried a trey in the final five seconds of play.
The second half included three more ties and four lead changes, as well as a 10-0 run by FSC over a 2:54 span to give the visitors their largest lead of the night, 52-42, when John canned a turnaround jumper with 14:03 to go. Mount Saint Mary later used a 16-2 spurt to push ahead by a 68-61 score with 5:17 on the clock, before the Rams chipped away at the deficit and knotted the game at 70-all on a freebie by John with 2:32 remaining. The hosts went up by two late in their next possession, a pair of empty possessions by both sides set the stage for Walters to convert the conventional 3-point play on the blocks off a feed from Powell to put FSC in front for good, 73-72. The Rams defense forced a Knights turnover in the hosts' next trip down the floor, before Hurowitz canned two free throws with 17 seconds to go to push the edge to 75-72. Walters then blocked a MSMC layup attempt on the defensive end, and knocked down his pair at the charity stripe after he was fouled on the rebound attempt to seal the victory for Farmingdale State.
Head coach Brendan Twomey's side wraps up its two-game Skyline Conference road week on Saturday, when it travels to Bronxville, N.Y., for a noon tip-off at Sarah Lawrence College.
Prior to the game, both coaching staffs united for this photo in celebration of Coaches vs. Cancer's Suits and Sneakers Week:
