THE FACTS
Gettysburg (18-6, 14-3 CC) 68, McDaniel (10-14, 5-12 CC) 64
What: Centennial Conference (CC) men's basketball game
When: Wednesday, February 14
Where: Gettysburg, Pa.
THE SKINNY STORY
Gettysburg turned an 11-point first-half deficit into four second-half ties, ultimately edging McDaniel by just four points, 68-64.
THE LEADERS
•
Jordan Stafford (Galloway, N.J./Saint Joseph Hammonton) tied a career-best with 25 points to lead the Bullets. He also grabbed four rebounds.
•
Akim Joseph (Port-au-Prince, Haiti/Notre Dame Fairfield [Conn.]) was one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 11 points and nine boards.
•
Carl Schaller (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) also scored 11 points to go with three rebounds and two steals.
FOR THE FOES
• Chuck Contee led all scorers with 27 points.
THE REST OF THE STORY
• The Bullets were kept off the board for the first 2:30 as two Chuck Contee baskets surrounded a
Jordan Stafford jumper. A 7-4 Gettysburg run with points by three different shooters gave Gettysburg a 10-7 advantage, but a Christian Taylor 3-pointer tied things up. The teams tied again at 13-all before a
Nate Williams (Morganville, N.J./St. John Vianney) jumper and
Antonello Baggi (Cremona, Italy/West Deptford [N.J.]) 3-pointer gave the Bullets their largest lead of the first half. The teams traded baskets to a 24-21 Bullets lead with 8:33 showing. McDaniel then took off on a 16-2 run over the remaining almost eight minutes, with Joseph contributing the Bullets' only points in the stretch, for a 37-26 lead at half.
• Gettysburg came out firing in the second half, snapping their almost ten-minute scoring drought with two Stafford free throws that turned into an 11-0 run as the Bullets tied the game, holding the Green Terror scoreless for the first 4:23 of the second half. Taylor broke through for the Green Terror, and Gettysburg clung to a lead that ranged between one and three points for the next four minutes. A McDaniel turnover and Joseph triple made it a 47-42 game, but David Kearney made a pair at the line and a Contee four-point play made it a tie game once again with 7:48 left to play. McDaniel took the lead for the first time since the beginning of the second half on four straight Contee points, but a Joseph trip to the charity stripe and layin by Stafford made it a one-point game once again. With 4:04 showing, the first of a Stafford set of free throws tied the game, 58-all. Kearney and
Ryan McKeon (Landenberg, Pa./Sanford [Del.]) traded layups, and with 2:19 left McKeon was fouled and made both of his free throws. McDaniel made two more layups in the final two minutes but committed three more fouls, and Gettysburg went five of six at the line to escape with the 68-64 victory.
THE INSIDE STORY
• Gettysburg's starting lineup scored all but nine of the Bullets' points.
•
Ryan McKeon had nine points while
Antonello Baggi added seven.
• Gettysburg shot 48.9% from field goal range while the Green Terror shot 46.3%. Gettysburg made 18 of 22 free throws and McDaniel hit 6 of 10.
NEXT UP
Gettysburg returns to action Saturday against Muhlenberg for senior day. Game time is 4 p.m.
