LANCASTER, PA - Trinity College forward Tyler Rhoten scored 29 points to earn Most Valuable Player honors as the Bantams men's basketball team defeated Franklin & Marshall College 84-75 in overtime to win the 38th Annual S. Woodrow Sponaugle Tip-Off Classic at the Mayser Center.
Rhoten finished the game nine-of-20 from the field and 11-of-11 at the free throw line with seven rebounds, one assist and four steals in 42 minutes as he concluded the tournament with 54 points and 12 rebounds in wins over SUNY-Cortland (78-77 W) and the Diplomats.
Trailing 63-61 with 3:54 remaining in the second half following a lay-up by Adam Leonard (So., Muncy, PA/Muncy), the Bantams (2-0) used a free throw by Patrick Martin and a lay-up by Paul Rowe to take a 64-63 lead with 3:01 remaining.
The teams traded the lead as point guard Logan Outerbridge (Jr., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) laid in a bucket before Kino Clarke and forward Brandon Smith (Sr., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) traded three-pointers to keep F&M in front 68-67 with 1:45 remaining.
Franklin & Marshall's lead grew to two points as forward Bryan Teschke (Jr., Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) made the back-end of a pair of free throws with 59.4 seconds remaining on the clock. However, Rhoten hit a lay-up with 30.1 seconds left to knot the score at 69-69 and force overtime.
In the extra five minute period, the Diplomats took an early lead as Smith made a lay-up nine seconds in to put F&M ahead 71-69. The Bantams countered with a 7-0 run as Russ Martin hit back-to-back lay-ups at 3:53 and 3:32 and Clarke drilled a three-pointer at 3:01 to put Trinity in front to stay.
Smith and Rhoten traded pairs of free throws at 2:17 and 1:29, respectively, before Smith hit a driving lay-up at 1:19 to slice the Bantams' lead to 78-75.
Trinity finished the game at the free-throw line as Clarke and Paul Rowe made one-of-two opportunities apiece and Patrick Martin converted on a pair of shots to lead 82-75 with 18.6 seconds left on the clock. Rhoten iced the win for the Bantams as he finished off his 11-of-11 feat at the line with 5.5 seconds left as Trinity held on for the victory.
Clarke and Smith joined Rhoten on the All-Conference team as the pair finished with 23 and 33 points, respectively.
For Trinity, Clarke converted on nine-of-17 from the field, including four-of-eight from beyond the arc, and one-of-three at the free throw line with five rebounds, while Mike Hoar added 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Smith's performance marked the 30th 30-point game in school history and second of his career as he scored 36 points and 17 rebounds in an 85-76 win at DeSales University on January 17, 2005.
Outerbridge added 13 points for F&M, while center Derek Hines (So., Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) tacked on nine points and six rebounds and Leonard chipped in nine points.
The Diplomats appeared primed to run away with the game in the closing minutes of first half as Hines, Smith and Outerbridge hit jumpers for a 6-0 run to push F&M in front 41-33 at halftime.
Trinity responded with an 11-3 run to open the second half led by four points from Rhoten to knot the game at 44-44 with 16:34 left to play in regulation.
Franklin & Marshall retook the lead at 47-44 as Brandon Chasen (So., Potomoc, MD/Bullis School) and Brandon Yost (So., McDaniel, MD/St. Michael's) went two-for-two and one-for-two at the free throw line, respectively, before Clarke knocked down a jumper at 13:44 to put Trinity within one at 47-46.
Leonard drained a three pointer to give F&M at four point lead, Rhoten hit a jumper to halve the margin, Hines made two-of-two at the charity stripe to push the lead back to four points before Rhoten hit another jumper to slice the lead back to two points at 52-50 with 10:08 to play in regulation.
Hoar gave Trinity a 53-52 lead with 9:01 remaining with a three-pointer, but Smith fired in a jump shot at 8:35 to give F&M a one-point lead.
The lead lasted less than a minute as Rowe made a pair of free throws at 7:42 to put the Bantams back in front 55-54 before Rhoten swished a pair of shots at 7:12 to hand Trinity a 57-54 lead.
F&M countered with a 6-0 run as Outerbridge drained a three-pointer, Yost made the back end of a pair of free throws and Smith collected a steal at midcourt and sprinted down the court for a lay-up for a 60-57 Franklin & Marshall lead.
Rowe and Hines made free throws to keep the margin at three points with 4:59 to play before Clarke hit a three-point basket at 4:18 to set up the final minutes of play.
The loss postpones head coach Glenn Robinson's march to his 700th career victory, as he is now 698-243 in 35 seasons at the College and is on the doorstep of becoming the 25th NCAA coach to win 700 games.
The all-time leader in Division III men's basketball wins, he can become the 25th member of the 700 wins club and only the 10th active member joining Bobby Knight (Texas Tech), Don Meyer (Northern State), Herb Mage (Philadelphia), Eddie Sutton (Oklahoma State), Lute Olson (Arizona), John Chaney (Temple), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Jim Calhoun (Connecticut).
Further, Trinity improves to 2-2 all-time against Franklin & Marshall as the Bantams defeated the Diplomats 79-58 on March 10, 1995 in Hartford, Connecticut in the NCAA "Sweet 16" as the Diplomats concluded the season 27-2.
Franklin & Marshall last defeated the Bantams in 1924 as the Diplomats handed Trinity a 15-8 loss in Hartford on December 17. The win marked the second straight for F&M against Trinity as the Diplomats netted a 21-16 win in the first meeting between the two programs on December 15, 1923.
In the consolation game, All-Tournament selection Frank Ranieri tallied a game high 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as the SUNY-Cortland Red Dragons (1-1) defeated Gwynedd-Mercy College (0-2) 85-67.
Cortland built a 38-27 lead by halftime as the Dragons used 13 points and six boards by Ranieri at forward and 10 points and three boards by guard Rod Hadley in the first half.
The Dragons expanded the lead in the second half behind 14 points by forward Dave Maggiacomo who converted on four-of-four from beyond the arc and two-of-two at the free throw line as he finished the game five-of-10 from beyond the arc and two-of-two at the line for 17 points.
Overall, Headley (15), Ranieri (23) and Maggiacomo (17) were joined by forward Scott Taggart (17) as four Dragons finished as double-digit scorers.
For Gwynedd-Mercy, All-Tournament selection Rashid Santiago scored 10 points, while guards Tom Keenan and Rick Haas added a team high 12 points apiece.
Franklin & Marshall (1-1) will continue the season on November 22 at home versus Juniata College. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
