LANCASTER, PA – The Valley Forge men's basketball team went up against long-time rival, Lancaster Bible College, on Tuesday evening. It was a great test for the young Patriots team to play against the #2 ranked (NCCAA) Chargers on their home court. LBC was riding an 11-game win streak heading into the contest.
Everybody in the area knows Valley Forge is known for their pressure defense. After having a week off prior to this game, the Patriots brought a lot of energy to the defensive end. They would need to sustain it for 40 minutes if they were going to knock off a very good Chargers team. The game was very close early on as LBC held a 17-14 lead throughout the first ten minutes. As the Patriots' defense continued to put pressure on the Chargers, they were able to cut the lead down to one (22-21) after
Jean LeBlanc sank 3 free-throws. However, LBC's talented line-up, led by Albert Suniga, was able to go on a 9-0 scoring run and they pushed the lead to ten (31-21) with 3:31 to play in the half. Suniga finished with a team-high 21 points and 9 rebounds.
Although they were facing their biggest deficit of the game, the Patriots were not going away.
Joseph Taylor scored 10 straight points for UVF, including back to back 3-pointers, and pulled the team back to within four (35-31). He finished with a game-high 22 points. The teams traded baskets the remainder of the half and the Chargers went into the break holding a lead, 40-35. The Chargers only shot 41.4% from the field in the first half, but were very efficient from the charity stripe, knocking down 12 of 15. They also hit 4-7 from 3-point range.
The Patriots got off to a hot start in the second half. After two free throws from
Kevin Mack, they trimmed the lead down to one (47-46) with 16:09 remaining. The game continued to be very tight, but LBC was able to hold a slim margin. Valley Forge continued to battle on both ends, and found themselves tied (56-56) at 8:38 after two free throws from Taylor. A jumper from Chargers' Naheer Mirza gave them the lead once again, but
Kevin Mack responded with a 3-pointer and gave the Patriots a one point lead with 7:34 remaining. Mack recorded his 1,000
th point during the game!
One of the keys to this game was the Chargers efficiency from the 3-point line and free throw line. LBC only had two 3-point attempts in the second half, both by Suniga, but he made them both. His timely make at 6:43 gave them the lead once again. Then, two good free throws from Dondre Perry and Mirza pushed the lead to four (67-63). The Chargers were 26-34 (76.5%) from the free throw line. A dunk from Taylor got the Patriots back to within two, but another free throw from Perry, and a jumper from CJ Dunston pushed the lead back to five with 3:24 to play. UVF was not able to convert on the offensive end down the stretch, and LBC sealed the game at the free throw line. The final score was 76-69.
"I was very proud of our effort tonight," Valley Forge Head Coach
Jon Mack said, "but equally disappointed in our composure. Our lack of composure neutralized our effort and cost our opportunity to win." He went on to say, "There were tough calls and adverse moments tonight that affected both teams, but we didn't win those character moments. We fell short of competing for the true purpose." After pointing out some things the Patriots could have done better on the court, he said, "But tonight's takeaway is about winning the character moments and reflecting Christ. We have to remember WHY we play and WHO we play for. That's our mission and true purpose of life. I am confident we will make the necessary corrections and grow from this experience."
The Patriots return back to The Pit Friday night at 7:30PM against Vaughn College.
Go Patriots!
