Late Tip-In Helps York Capture Men's Basketball Championship in OT

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - It was a defensive struggle, but at the end East number two seed Penn State York hoisted the PSUAC Men's Basketball Championship trophy on Sunday night after a wild finish in the Bryce Jordan Center. York toppled the East's top seed Penn State Wilkes-Barre 57-56 in overtime to earn the PSUAC's automatic bid to the USCAA National Championship Tournament, set to begin next weekend.

Tied at 53 at the end of regulation in the low scoring affair, a Wilkes-Barre free throw started the scoring in the extra period. York answered with a jumper by Anthony Bennett Jr. to take a 55-54 lead at the 3:02 mark. Neither team would score again until less than 10 seconds remained, as Wilkes-Barre grabbed the brief lead with a tip-in LeVaughn Knight-Soules with 7.8 seconds remaining after Khalil White's lay-up attempt was blocked.

York inbounded the ball and quickly made its way down the floor as Bennett Jr. took a jumper from 18-feet, and after bouncing off the back of the rim, Justin Luton tipped it back for two and a 57-56 lead with 1.8 seconds left. A desperation three was off the mark and York walked away with the upset. 

Bennett Jr. and teammate Derrick Hoffman each chipped in 14 points for York, while Luton added 10 for a balanced scoring attack. Wilkes-Barre's Khalil White led all scorers with 30 points off the bench, including 17-of-19 from the free throw line. Knight-Soules was the only other Wilkes-Barre player in double figures, adding 10 points from the bench as well.

York and Wilkes-Barre have both earned bids to the USCAA tournament, set to begin Sunday, March 3rd.