Center Valley, PA (January 13, 2016) – Sophomore Aaron Burton hit an off-balance left-handed runner in the lane with 1.9 seconds left lifting the DeSales University men's basketball team past King's College, 72-70, in MAC Freedom action on Wednesday evening in Billera Hall.
 
DeSales (10-4, 2-1 MAC Freedom) never trailed in the game and led for all but one minute and 31 seconds but needed Burton's runner to escape with the win after King's (7-7, 1-2 MAC Freedom) hit a three-pointer with 14 seconds left tying the game for the first time all night.
 
Junior Brian Laird was outstanding for the Bulldogs netting a season-high 23 points, including five three-pointers, and sophomore Brandon Bridy added 14 points to lead DeSales.  Burton finished with eight points, all of which came in the second-half, to lead the charge off the bench.
 
Tom Heston was terrific for King's finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Dan Rutecki had 11 points.  John Fazzini also reached double figures with 10 points.
 
Leading 18-17 midway thru the first-half DeSales used a 9-0 run that included two Laird 3' to take a 27-17 lead and continued to lead by five at the break after KC's Chris Fazzini hit a three-pointer with six seconds left just before the halftime buzzer.
 
The Bulldogs slowly increased its lead in the second-half and seemed to have complete control of the contest taking a 49-39 lead at the 12:43 mark and continued to lead by 10 with 10:36 to go before King's began chipping away.
 
A quick 6-0 Monarch run made it a four-point game (53-49) but King's couldn't get any closer till a three-pointer by J. Fazzini made it a two-point game (61-59) with 4:33 to go.
 
One free throw from junior Kuity Slanger was followed by a lay-up after a King's turnover by Slanger pushing the margin back to five points (64-59).  The two teams traded free throws over the next several minutes and with DSU leading by three with 1:27 remaining Laird missed a three-pointer and a Burton put-back was short giving King's possession down just three points.
 
Senior Cody Deal tied up the Monarchs' J. Fazzini on the ensuing possession but DSU was only able to get an off-balance fall away three from Deal on the next possession and King's raced up the court on the rebound and found Connor Hughes alone in transition as he knocked down a three to tie the game at 70.
 
After a Bulldogs timeout with 5.6 seconds left, Burton got the inbounds pass, drove left and finished a short 6-foot runner with his left hand giving DeSales a 72-70 lead with 1.9 seconds left.  After back-to-back timeouts from each team, King's did get a decent look from just inside half court at the buzzer but the attempt was well short as time expired.
 
DSU finished the game shooting 38.2 percent from the field but forced 16 King's College turnovers leading to 21 points.  The Bulldogs also shot well from the charity stripe hitting 24-of-30 (80.0%) in the win.
 
Laird earns A.B.E. Doors and Windows Player of the Game honors hitting five three-pointers moving him into a tie for 11^th place all-time with 124 made triples.
 
The Bulldogs are back in action on Saturday when they travel to FDU-Florham for a MAC Freedom match-up with the Devils beginning at 3:00 pm.