Niagara University, N.Y. (February 14, 2025)—Carmelo Pacheco drained the game-winning three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to cap a wild ending as Mount St. Mary's topped Niagara, 84-83, at the Gallager Center on Friday night. Mount St. Mary's improves to 14-10 overall and 7-6 in the MAAC with the victory.
Trailing 83-80 after a pair of free throws by Niagara's Zion Russell with 9.6 seconds remaining, the Mount's
Xavier Lipscomb was fouled with 5.2 seconds on the clock. Lipscomb headed to the line for a 1-and-1 and calmly sank the first shot. The Mount had perfect execution on missing the second free throw on purpose. Lipscomb shot the ball quickly, and
Terrell Ard Jr. was first in the lane to grab the rebound. He fed Pacheco on the left wing, and the sophomore swished home the go-ahead bucket with 1.6 seconds on the clock for the game-winning basket.
Niagara (10-15, 5-9 MAAC) opened the second half on fire, scoring 26 points in the opening eight and a half minutes to surge to a 60-55 advantage. The Mount trailed 61-57 before using an 8-0 run to take a 65-61 lead.
Javon Ervin's three-pointer from the left corner started the run, and Lipscomb had a traditional three-point play to put the Mount back ahead, 63-61.
Dola Adebayo's hook shot capped the streak for a four-point lead.
Niagara answered with the next five points to regain the lead, 66-65, with eight minutes left in the game. From there, the lead was exchanged five times with Niagara grabbing a 78-76 advantage after a Justin Paige triple. Ard Jr. answered on the other end, converted a
Dallas Hobbs feed to make it 78-78, with 1:17 left. Niagara's Jhaylon Martinez then converted a three-point play off a rebound with 50.0 seconds left. The teams exchanged turnovers before Hobbs scored on a drive to make it 81-80 with 11.3 seconds on the clock. The Mount then fouled Russell , setting up the dramatic ending.
Hobbs led five Mountaineers in double figures with a team-high 21 points. Pacheco, Ard. Jr. and
Jedy Cordilia each had 13 points while Lipscomb finished with 11 points. Olumide Adelodun led all scorers with 26 points to lead Niagara.
The Mountaineers shot 66.7 percent (16-of-24) from the field in the second half to finish 31-for-54 (.574) in the game. The Mount went 7-for013 (.538) from beyond the arc as well.
NOTES:
- The Mount swept the season series to even the all-time series at four wins each.
- The Mountaineers had five players in double figures, improving to 11-0 this season when having four or more double figure scorers in a game.
- The Mount is also 11-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
- Mount St. Mary's won its third consecutive MAAC road game, the first time since joining the league for the 2022-23 season that the Mountaineers have won three consecutive MAAC road games.
- The Mount's 14 wins this season eclipse last year's win total of 13.
UP NEXT: Mount St. Mary's stays in Western New York to face Canisius on Sunday, February 16, at 1 pm.
