ANNVILLE, Pa. - Lebanon Valley recovered after a late Lycoming shot tied it at the end of regulation, using a 7-0 run in overtime to win 75-72 in a critical Commonwealth Conference game Wednesday night.
On a night when the top three teams in the conference all went down, the Dutchmen (8-12, 4-5 CC) did their part by sweeping the season series from second-place Lycoming (16-4, 6-3 CC). LVC remains a game out of third place for the final playoff spot, tied with Widener at 4-5 and behind Alvernia, Elizabethtown, and Messiah, who are knotted at 5-4.
Joe Meehan had 24 points and Dan Dunkelberger recorded a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double that included five points at the line in the final 40 seconds. Anthony Trautman was key off the bench with 14 points, including a big three-pointer in the extra period. Jordan Stewart also had 14 for LVC.
Eric Anthony led Lycoming with 20 points and Ishaan Davis added 10.
Both teams shot poorly overall and LVC committed a staggering 30 turnovers, but the real story came at the line, where LVC shot 30-of-44 overall to Lycoming's 10-of-15.
Foul shooting cost both teams chances to win in regulation, however, as Lycoming missed two and-one situations that would have tied it in the final 1:03, and Trautman missed two with 16 seconds left that would have made it a two-possession lead.
Those misses set up Anthony, who tied the game when he made a game-tying runner with 4.7 seconds left, and Stewart was just off the mark on a three-point attempt at the buzzer.
Anthony sank two foul shots to start OT and take a lead, but Meehan tied the game with a quick layup before Lyco grabbed another edge on Mike Bradley's foul shot.
That would be the Warriors' final lead, however, with Trautman sinking a big three-pointer and Meehan following with a layup to go up four, and Trautman capping the 7-0 run with two foul shots to all but secure victory.
Lycoming got close with back-to-back layups by Sebastian Sabella and Mike Bradley, but LVC produced at the line, including five free throws by Dunkelberger in the final 40 seconds.
LVC visits Widener on Saturday.