Center Valley, PA (January 4, 2015) – McDaniel College wiped out a 14-point first-half deficit outlasting the DeSales University men's basketball team, 77-72, in overtime of the DeSales Holiday Tournament presented by OAA on Sunday afternoon in Billera Hall.
 
Junior Cody Deal led the Bulldogs (8-4) with 22 points, seven rebounds, and four assists and freshman Aaron Burton totaled 13 points to each earn All-Tournament Team honors.  Sophomore Kuity Slanger also had double digits with 12 points and five assists and senior Travis Bryan finished with nine points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
 
The Green Terror (7-3) were led by Tim Stewart who tallied 29 points and 17 rebounds to earn Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.  Wesley Brooks also earned All-Tournament Team honors with 17 points and Phillip Perry had 12 points in the win.
 
DeSales was on fire to open the game hitting its first seven shots and took its largest lead of the game (22-8) at the 9:45 mark of the opening half on a free throw from Slanger.  McDaniel responded from there using a 13-2 run to pull within three points (24-21) and after a three from Brooks at the halftime buzzer DSU took a 34-31 lead in to the locker room.
 
A short jumper and a put-back from Bryan early in the second-half gave DSU a five-point lead (38-33) before two three's from the Green Terror gave them their first lead of the game (39-38) with 15:52 to play.  From there the game featured 17 more lead changes as the two teams battled back and forth the entire way.
 
Fast forward to the end of regulation McDaniel led by two (60-58) with 2:33 to go when Deal hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to put the Bulldogs up one with 2:16 remaining.  A block on the other end by sophomore Ryan Callahan saw Slanger break free on the rebound with a wide open lay-up but his attempt was off the back iron.
 
On the ensuing possession DSU had a steal as sophomore Brian Laird dove to the ground for a loose ball but a pass from his back was picked off and Stewart laid it in uncontested giving the Green Terror a one-point lead (62-61) with 1:36 to go.
 
Deal again had the answer hitting a jumper to put the Bulldogs back up one (63-62) but after a Green Terror timeout and its offensive play stagnant Brooks pulled up from the right wing and hit nothing but net on a three giving McDaniel a 65-63 lead with 28 ticks left.
 
After a DSU timeout Deal was fouled on a jumper from the top of the key with 11 seconds left and hit both freebies to tie the game at 65.  A short jumper from McDaniel was short but Stewart was fouled on the inbounds and hit both free throws with 1.8 seconds left to put MC up two.
 
After a length of the court pass was batted out of bounds DSU had possession in its half of the court with 0.6 ticks left.  Slanger lofted a lob pass at the rim and Callahan was there to tip the ball in as time expired sending the game into overtime.
 
McDaniel scored the first three points of the overtime period before lay-ups from Burton and Bryan gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead (71-70) with 2:40 left to play.  Just like in regulation DSU had a chance to take a three-point edge late as Slanger dashed into the passing lane to get a steal but his lay-up again found the back of the iron and fell off the rim and Brooks countered on the other end with a jumper to make it a 72-71 game with 1:52 to go.
 
Slanger had the answer on the next possession hitting a lay-up off a pass from Deal but Stewart countered giving McDaniel a one-point edge (74-73) with 1:00 minute to play.  DSU turned the ball over on the next possession and Stewart was sent to the line for two with 29 seconds left.  He made 1-of-2 making it 75-73 but the Bulldogs committed another turnover with 10 seconds left and MC's Andrew Merlo iced the win with two free throws with three seconds left.
 
DeSales had a terrific shooting night hitting 54.5 percent from the field (30-for-55).  It is DSU's first loss of the season when scoring 70+ points and snaps a 10-game home winning streak dating back to last season.
 
The Bulldogs return to action on Wednesday when they return to action hosting Arcadia University in a non-conference game beginning at 7:00 pm.