URBANA, Ohio – Tayler McNeal knocked down free throws with 17 seconds and a layup by Notre Dame College's DeAnthony Owens was waved off at the buzzer as Urbana University men's basketball held on for a dramatic 66-65 win Saturday at the Grimes Center.
Urbana (8-20, 7-15 MEC) clinched the final spot in the Mountain East Conference Tournament following the victory, which equaled the program's highest league-win total since joining the MEC (7 in 2016-17).
The Blue Knights needed a win plus a loss by Frostburg State on Saturday to sneak into the tournament via head-to-head tiebreaker over Frostburg. Fairmont State would come through with a 103-81 triumph over the Bobcats.
Shaunn Monroe led Urbana with 19 points on 4-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. He also dished a career-high seven assists. The freshman turned it on late by averaging over 19 points in the final five games of the regular season.
Tehree Horn and
Mike Ryan also reached double figures for the Blue Knights. Horn also went 4 for 10 from three-point range and snagged a team-high six rebounds. Ryan continued his breakout week with 14 points, including 10 in the first half. The redshirt senior prevented his collegiate career from ending early by averaging 15.0 points this week including a season-high 16 points in Wednesday night's win.
Urbana led by as much as 11 in the first half before taking a 39-31 lead into the halftime break. A jumper from Ryan put the Blue Knights ahead 27-16 with just over seven minutes in the period. UU shot 53 percent in the first half including 6 of 12 from deep.
However, the hot-shooting wouldn't continue into second half as the Falcons outscored the Blue Knights, 34-27.
Notre Dame stormed back with a 12-3 run that began with 12 minutes left and was capped by a Drew Scarberry putback to put the Falcons in front, 55-54, with six minutes to play.
A three from Horn put the hosts back in front with 5:22 remaining and the Blue Knights would stay out in front until a pair of NDC free throws tied the game at 64-64 with just over a minute.
Then, Owens went back to the line for NDC with 50 seconds to play, but he only made 1 of 2 to give the Falcons a 65-64 lead.
On the next possession, McNeal was fouled on a three-point shot that nearly dropped and he went to the line with 17 seconds. The redshirt freshman made the first attempt, and calmly buried the third after NDC tried to ice him after missing the second freebie.
NDC's Jordan Burton, who fouled McNeal on the prior play, got an open look from the right wing for the game-winner, but he came up short. The putback from Owens did not get off in time before the buzzer sounded.
Levi Frankland led the Falcons with a game-high 20 points while Scarberry added 16 points and eight rebounds.
Urbana only turned the ball over six times and outscored Notre Dame 10-0 in bench scoring.
The visitors held a 38-27 advantage on the boards and were forced into 10 turnovers.
Urbana snapped a five-game losing streak against Notre Dame as the two sides split the season series. It was also just the second win over the Falcons since the two programs joined the Mountain East Conference in 2013 (2-14).
UP NEXT: As the 10 seed, Urbana will take on seventh-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan (11-17) in the opening round of the MEC Tournament on Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia.
