The King's College Men's Basketball team couldn't set up a buzzer-beating shot as they fell 85-84 to the Five Towns College Sound in Dix Hills, Long Island on Saturday.
King's senior Jordan Bishop and junior Mali Binen hit jumpers 18 seconds apart, and freshman Morten Hansen made two free throws as King's jumped out to a 6-2 lead. Bishop extended the lead to 15-8 with a layup. But Five Towns began a run of their own, and when Jan Filip Jagielski nailed a three-pointer, the Sound took a 20-16 lead. A pair of three's by King's junior Andrew Pelaschier and senior Tyler Bowens put King's back up 22-20. But Five Towns surged ahead 34-26 when Robert Williams made a jump shot with 4:25 to go in the first half. Jagielski and Merritt made shots as the Sound took a 46-36 lead into halftime.
King's cut the lead to 40-36 to start the second half when Binen hit a jump shot with Bowens making a steal and hitting his jumper. King's junior Jimmy Nguyen sank a three-pointer and Bowens made two free throws and Five Towns now led 49-45. Nguyen hit another three and Binen hit a jumper and King's now trailed 55-54. Merritt helped the Sound with a jumper to put Five Towns up 61-56. But Pelaschier and Nguyen made consecutive three's and King's jumped ahead 62-61 with 8:29 to play. Luc Exil drilled a three pointer to put the Sound ahead 64-62 and give his team a lead they would never relinquish. The two teams battled all the way down the stretch but when they final whistle blew, King's came up short in an 85-84 loss.
Bishop led King's in scoring with 24 points to go with 3 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Binen had 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. Nguyen scored 18 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and a steal. Bowens had 10 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. Hansen added 2 points, 8 rebounds, an assist and a steal. Pelaschier contributed 8 points, 4 rebounds, an assist and a block. Cade Nicholson 3 points, 2 rebounds and an assist.
The loss dropped King's to 6-8 overall and 3-3 in the HVIAC conference.
Next Up: The Lions travel to Word of Life Thursday and Friday for a Christian college tournament event.