Dec. 11, 2008

Box Score

Old Westbury, N.Y. - The Adelphi men's basketball team traveled to Old Westbury, New York on Wednesday, December 10 to take on East Coast Conference foe NYIT. The Panthers Richard Byrd converted a lay-up with 16 seconds left in regulation to force overtime but Adelphi could not pull out the win, falling 74-66. The loss drops Adelphi to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in ECC play, while the Bears improve to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in the conference.

Defense controlled the tempo in the first half as both teams managed just five points through the first five minutes of action. Adelphi took control of the half and built a 19-5 lead with 14 unanswered points over the next six minutes, capped by a Richard Byrd lay-up. The Panthers held NYIT's Bryant Lassiter scoreless for the first 17 minutes of the half, connected on a three pointer with the Bears trailing by 10 points, cutting Adelphi's lead to just seven points, 25-18. NYIT and the Panthers would then trade buckets as Byrd connected on two free throws in the final seconds to send Adelphi into the half ahead 27-20.

In the second half the Bears cut Adelphi's lead to four points in the first 10 minutes of action, but the Panthers were able to hold a nine point advantage, 41-32, with 9:48 remaining. The Bears used a 12-4 run over the next two minutes to pull within one, 45-44 with 7:02 to play.

With just under five minutes left, NYIT knotted the game at 49-49 with three straight free throw makes and then took their first lead of the game on a lay-up with 1:11 on the clock. The teams would trade the lead twice before a Byrd lay-up with :16 seconds in regulation tied the score for a final time at 54-54 and sent the game into overtime.

In the first overtime the Bears grabbed a three point lead, 62-59, with :34 seconds left on a basket in the paint, but Adelphi would knot the game at 62 on the next possession as Casey Cosgrove corraled a Bear block and buried a three pointer with :18 seconds on the clock to tie the score and send the game into a second overtime.

The Bears came out hot in the second overtime, scoring the first six points to build a 68-62 lead, but Cosgrove would make four straight free throws to bring Adelphi to within two, 68-66, with just under two minutes remaining. Neither team scored for the next minute and a half, until a Bear three pointer gave NYIT some breathing room and a 71-66 lead. Adelphi would miss fire on their next possession and two NYIT free throws sealed the Bear win.

Lassiter led all players with 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for NYIT. Anthony Clarke and Carl Kindburg also reached double figures scoring 16 and 13 points respectively.

Alvin Vivican and Richard Byrd led the Panthers with 15 points each and Casey Cosgrove chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

Adelphi returns to action on Saturday, December 13 when they travel to Caldwell, New Jersey for a 3:30pm meeting with the Cougars of Caldwell.