Farmingdale State 74, Drew 72
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. | The Farmingdale State College men's basketball team overcame a 12-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining in its season-opening game Wednesday night, using a pair of free throws by senior point guard
Jevon Santos (Elmont, N.Y.) with 1.7 seconds left to secure a 74-72 win versus Drew University.
All but four of Santos's 14 points came in the second half for the Rams against the Rangers (1-2), who went ahead 62-50 on a 3-point field goal with 10:28 remaining. The hosts then staged a 13-1 run to close the deficit 64-63 on a coast-to-coast lay-in by Santos with 6:54 on the clock. From there, neither side led by more than four points the rest of the way, with FSC leveling the game at 70-all on a layup by senior forward
Hamdel Mohammed (Bronx, N.Y.) following an offensive rebound with 1:57 to go. Drew converted a second-chance basket in its next trip down the floor to go ahead once more, before Santos drove the lane to knot the score at 72-72 with 1:13 on the clock.
After the teams exchanged empty possessions in their next trips down the court, Mohammed pulled down a crucial defensive rebound inside of 16 seconds left to play. Out of a Farmingdale State timeout, Santos was fouled driving the right lane with 1.7 ticks on the scoreboard and knocked down both free throws, giving FSC its first lead since the 13:44 mark of the half. Following a pair of time-out calls by the Rangers, their last-second 3-point attempt from the left corner rimmed out, as the Rams collected an opening-night triumph.
Junior guard
Michael Notias (Manhasset, N.Y.) led three Rams in double-figure scoring with a career-high 17 points, and joined Santos with a team-best three assists on the night. Mohammed registered 12 points and six rebounds in his FSC debut, while fellow forward
Kentrell Evans (So.; Brooklyn, N.Y.) tacked on nine points and eight boards. Junior guardÂ
Sean Conroy (Staten Island, N.Y.) filled the stat sheet in his first game with the green and white, notching nine points (3-of-8 3FG), six caroms and two blocked shots. The Rams enjoyed a 34-20 edge on points in the paint, as well as a 15-7 advantage in second-chance points.
Farmingdale State's first road game of the season will come Saturday afternoon (Nov. 16), when it travels to Mahwah, N.J., for a 3 p.m. tip-off at Ramapo College of New Jersey.
