Hawkins Paces Shoremen with 17 Points in Loss

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- A free throw by Connor Poston with four seconds remaining proved to be the difference as host Gettysburg College defeated visiting Washington College, 60-59, in a Centennial Conference men's basketball game this afternoon in Gettysburg, Pa. The Bullets improved to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play with the win, while the Shoremen fell to 2-4 and 2-2 with the loss. 

Both teams held leads of as many as five points during the first half, but it was the Bullets who took a 28-25 advantage into halftime. 

Washington scored the first four points of the second half to take a 29-28 lead on a lay-up by senior forward Tony Hawkins (Mt. Ephraim, N.J./Haddon Township) with 17:25 remaining, but the Bullets answered with back-to-back buckets of their own to build a 32-29 advantage on a Poston lay-up with 15:36 on the clock. The Bullets kept the lead until Washington senior guard Kevin Cunningham (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape) knotted things up at 34-34 on a free throw with 12:25 to go. Mlynue Reeves put the Bullets back in front with a put-back, but Washington junior guard Sean Flanigan (Wilmington, Del./St. Mark's) knocked down a jumper on the other end to even the score at 36-36 with 11:19 left.

The Bullets then scored the next six points to build a 42-36 cushion on a free throw by Reeves with 7:15 remaining.  Cody Kiefer later gave Gettysburg its biggest lead of the game with a lay-up and free throw with 4:32 remaining, extending the Bullets advantage to 49-42. The Shoremen answered with a 10-2 run, capped off by a three-pointer by Cunningham with 2:52 to go, to take their first lead of the second half at 52-51. The Bullets countered immediately on a Kiefer lay-up 19 seconds later, regaining the lead at 53-52.

Sophomore forward Pat Morgan (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) put the Shoremen back in front, 55-53, with a three-pointer with 2:14 on the clock. On the next Gettysburg possession, Poston sank a pair of free throws to even the score at 55-55, with 1:36 on the clock, but Washington retook the lead, 57-55, on the opposite end with a Hawkins lay-up nine seconds later. Sean Gordon then made one of two free throws with 1:03 remaining to cut the lead to one at 57-56.

After a Washington timeout, Gordon stole the inbounds pass and fed Kiefer for a lay-up and foul with 48 seconds to go. Kiefer made the ensuing free throw to give the Bullets a 59-57 lead.  Hawkins converted a lay-up for the Shoremen on the next possession, deadlocking the game at 59-59 with 25 seconds remaining. 

Washington was whistled for a foul with four seconds left, sending Poston to the line for a pair of free throws. Poston missed the first free throw, but made the second to give the Bullets the 60-59 lead. A long three-point attempt by junior guard John Weston (Tampa, Fla./Bolles School) went off the rim for the Shoremen on the other end as Gettysburg held on for the win.

Poston paced the Bullets with 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor and 4-for-6 shooting at the line in the win. Kiefer added 14 points for Gettysburg. Hawkins led all players with 17 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-4 from the line for the Shoremen. Weston added 11 points for Washington, while Cunningham had nine points and five steals. 

The Bullets held a 44-25 advantage on the glass in the win. The Bullets shot 19-for-52 from the field, while the Shoremen shot 22-for-54. Gettysburg was 21-of-34 at the charity stripe, while Washington was 9-of-11.

The Shoremen return to action December 17th with an 8:00 p.m. non-conference home game against Wesley.