Boxscore
PIKE CREEK, Del. – On a night when senior swingman Sam McDuffie crept up to third on the school's all-time leading scoring list, fittingly, it was McDuffie who scored 12 of his 26 during a game-changing 25-2 barrage by the Lightning as the Goldey-Beacom College men's basketball team erased a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference foe Holy Family, 79-70.
With the win, the Lightning evened their overall record at 5-5 while improving to 4-1 in CACC play. The Tigers fell to 2-7 and 0-2 in league play. GBC has now won the last four meetings in the series.
In a game that started nearly an hour late due to slippery roads in the area, there were eight ties, 10 lead changes and 81 total points scored in just the first half alone. First-year head coach John O'Connor, with four freshmen in his starting five, had his Tigers out to a 41-40 lead at the break.
Senior guard Darnell Cephas carried the Lightning in the first half as he had already matched his career-high of 16 by the break. He finished with a new career-high of 17 for the night.
Tim Smith led the Tigers with 12 first-half points and Holy Family held a 22-19 rebounding advantage (including seven offensive boards) as the delayed start time seemed to be taking more of an effect on the hosts.
Momentum continued to stay with the Tigers out of the break as Holy Family opened the second half with an 11-2 run to take a 52-42 lead. Smith, who played all 40 minutes and finished with a team-high 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists, remained the hot hand early on as his fall-away jumper in the lane with 11:04 left to play kept it a 61-52 HFU lead.
Over the next 10:03, however, the Lightning defense kicked it into high-gear as Holy Family made just one of its next 12 attempts – a follow by freshman guard Nate Hodge(12 points). Meanwhile, the Lightning heated up, erasing the nine-point deficit and opening up a game-high, 77-63 cushion with just over a minute to play.
Senior forward Terrence Parkesinitiated the surge with a three-point field goal. Coming off a career-high matching 29-point performance on Mon. night against Millersville, he finished tonight's game with a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds.
McDuffie – who shot 9-for-11 from the field and pulled down 10 rebounds for the night – scored in every way, shape and form during the big burst, including the tie-breaking three-pointer at 6:55 that gave the hosts the lead for good at 64-61.
He came into the game needing 13 to tie Adrian Miles (2006-09) for third on the school's all-time leading scoring list, and he finished with 26 to close within two of tying Nate Lewis ('06) for second on the list with 1,133.
Meanwhile, the Lightning backcourt, particularly senior guards Azeez Ellegood and Jon Crawford, did a solid job containing Smith in the second half, as the junior guard who came in averaging 18.4 points per-game managed nine points, but on 4-of-14 shooting from the field.
The two division foes were very even statistically for the night. The Lightning shot marginally better (42.9 percent to 40.3 percent) from the field and held a slim 41-40 rebounding advantage.
Free-throw shooting was the story in this one, as the Lightning, even with a poor 61.5 shooting percentage, made out like bandits at the stripe with 24 made free-throws to the Tigers' nine. Holy Family was even worse at the line, making just 56.3 percent of its attempts.
Also, the Lightning did a much better job distributing the basketball as they combined for 18 assists (led by Ellegood's five) to just nine turnovers. Holy Family had just 11 assists to 12 turnovers.
GBC is back in action on for its last game of the calendar year on Sunday as the Lightning host non-conference foe Bowie State for the fifth and final game of this five-game home stand at 2 p.m.
