A game with potential homecourt advantage in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament written all over it came down to clutch shooting and it was Goldey-Beacom that prevailed, getting a 74-69 victory at the Jones Center in Wilmington, DE.
Things looked real good early in the second half, when the Lightning used a 13-2 run in opening a 43-30 lead with 16:06 left. Sophomore Zakari McQueen (Petersburg, VA) was his usual self in this run, scoring eight points in helping his squad shoot 4-of-5 from the field.
The margin remained comfortable before the Rams got going, using a 10-2 spurt in closing to 51-48 with 6:56 to go. Justin Hawkins netted five points in that time.
The outcome still was in doubt in the final three minutes and the Lightning, up 59-56, needed a big offensive possession. That was provided by junior Shane Taylor (Ellicott City, MD), who buried a huge 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining for a 62-56 contest.
Sean Fullerton made two free throws for Jefferson with 1:36 to go for a 62-58 margin, but GBC responded on the other end. Freshman Tre Powell (Mount Laurel, NJ) got in the lane and hit a layup 14 seconds later for a six-point game.
Then came arguably the game's biggest sequence. Hawkins missed a 3-pointer and junior Zayon Marsh (Maplewood, NJ) came down with a big rebound before being fouled. His two free throws with 63 seconds remaining made it 66-58 before it became a fouling contest the rest of the way.
McQueen ended with 17 points, Marsh had 13 and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, Taylor and Powell netted 12 points apiece with senior David Robinson (Philadelphia, PA) adding 11. McQueen now is averaging 17.6 points over his last 11 contests.
McQueen also made four 3-pointers and now is at 71 on the season, moving into second place on the program's single-season list. Nazim Derry three seasons ago set the mark with 100.
Hawkins and Ashton Miller scored 10 points apiece for the Rams (12-9, 6-5 CACC).
Goldey-Beacom (9-13, 6-5) moves into a second-place tie in the CACC South Division, both one game behind Chestnut Hill (7-4). GBC gains a split of its season series and next Tuesday hosts Chestnut Hill looking for the same.
Before that, Goldey-Beacom on Saturday visits Post for a 3:00 pm contest.
