Center Valley, PA (December 30, 3024) - The DeSales University men's basketball team erased a 12-point deficit with 2:39 left but saw its rally fall short as #13 Gettysburg College hit a game-winning jumper with 0.9 seconds left en route to an 80-78 win in the third game of the Al Senavitis Memorial Tournament on Monday afternoon.

The Basics

• Final Score: #13 Gettysburg - 80, DeSales - 78
• Records: DeSales (6-4 Overall); Gettysburg (9-2 Overall)
• The win was the Bullets first-ever over the Bulldogs in three career meetings.
• Each of DeSales last four games have now all been decided by just two points or less.

How it Happened

• Gettysburg was hot to start the game opening up a 12-3 lead and continued to lead by nine (28-19) at the 7:10 mark of the first-half.
• DeSales rallied with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 30 led by two 3's from junior Brendan Boyle and four points from senior Caleb Gibbs.
• The Bullets scored the final five points of the half to take a 37-34 lead into the locker room.
• It was back-and-forth to start the second-half as the game was tied at 48 1ith 10:40 left on the clock.
• The Bulldogs trailed by five (64-59) with 5:10 left when Gettysburg scored seven straight points to take a 71-59 lead at the 3:24 mark.
• The lead remained 12 after both teams traded three-pointers.
• DSU cut it to 10 on a back-door layup from first-year Jayden Thomas and turned a steal into another lay-up to make it an eight point game with 2:12 to go.
• The Bullets got a bucket on its next possession re-claiming a 10-point lead but the Bulldogs got a three-point play from Gibbs, a steal on the ensuing inbounds, and a lay-up from senior Matt Ciszkowski to make it five point game (76-71) with 1:19 left.
• After a Bullet turnover, a missed three from the Bulldogs, and another Gettysburg turnover, Gibbs scored again to make it a three point game (76-73) with 26 ticks left.
• Senior Devin Atkinson got another steal in the backcourt on the following inbounds and found Ciszkowski for another layup to make it a one-point game with 21 seconds left.
• The Bullets made two freebies with 18 seconds left and Thomas completed the comeback with a three from the right wing with 11.1 seconds left tying the score at 78.
• Gettysburg took a timeout and out of the timeout got the ball to Jordan Stafford who drove the length of the court, backed down his defender into the post, and hit a step-back fall away 8-footer with 0.9 seconds left giving the Bullets an 80-78 lead and a last second heave was intercepted as time ran out.

Top Bulldog Performers

• Gibbs led all scorers with 26 points.
• Boyle added 13 points, Atkinson had 12 tallies, and Thomas finished with 11 points.

For the Foes

• Nate Williams led the Bullets with 22 points.
• Stafford had 16 tallies and Akim Joseph also reached double digits with 15 points.

Inside the Box Score

• Gettysburg had a big advantage on the glass out-rebounding DeSales, 34-23, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 20 second chance points.
• DeSales has a 21-6 advantage in points off turnovers, forcing 18 Bullet miscues.
• Gettysburg was lights out from deep hitting 14-for-25 (56.0%), while the Bulldogs shot well from beyond the arc (8-for-16 - 50.0%).
• The Bulldogs were 20-for-27 (74.1%) from the charity stripe.

Up Next

• The Bulldogs are off till Saturday when they travel to The College of New Jersey for its final non-conference game of the season beginning at 1:00 pm.