Patriots Win in Overtime Thriller for First Conference Victory

ABINGTON, PA – January 7, 2026 – The University of Valley Forge Patriots men's basketball team captured their first United East Conference win of the season in dramatic fashion, defeating Penn State-Abington 82-81 in overtime on Tuesday night at the Athletic Building.

The victory improves Valley Forge to 4-8 overall and 1-3 in conference play, while Penn State-Abington falls to 1-13 overall and 1-3 in the United East.

In a game that featured 11 ties and 14 lead changes, neither team could pull away in regulation. The Patriots held a 46-38 advantage at halftime before the Nittany Lions stormed back with a 37-29 second-half performance to force overtime tied at 75-75.

Senior Isaiah Reece led all scorers with 15 points while pulling down 8 rebounds and blocking 2 shots in 40 minutes of action. Junior Denzel Pierre provided a crucial spark off the bench with 13 points, including three critical three-pointers.

The game came down to the final seconds of overtime when William Lawder stepped to the free-throw line with just six seconds remaining and Valley Forge clinging to an 81-81 tie. Lawder calmly sank the first free throw to give the Patriots an 82-81 lead. After missing the second attempt, Valley Forge's defense held strong as Penn State-Abington's desperation three-pointer fell short at the buzzer.

Deven Dowdie (12 points) and Dominik McKenney-George (10 points) also reached double figures for the Patriots, who shot 44.9% from the field and 47.1% from three-point range.

Penn State-Abington's JoJo Kelly nearly carried his team to victory with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Tyler Meinel added 19 points in the losing effort.

The Patriots will look to build on this momentum as they continue their United East Conference campaign.

Box Score Highlights:

• Valley Forge: 82 (31-69 FG, 8-17 3PT, 12-22 FT)
• Penn State-Abington: 81 (29-71 FG, 7-26 3PT, 16-28 FT)
• Attendance: 67