FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Courtesy of Alberuts Magnus Athletics Communications

CARLISLE, Pa. – After winning 27 straight games, the No. 7 Albertus Magnus men's basketball team fell to No. 10 and host Dickinson College at the buzzer, 74-72, on Saturday night as the Falcons ended their season with a heartbreaking loss in the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round.

After the Falcons tied the game at 72 with 12 seconds left, thanks to a Victor Ljuljdjuraj (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) jumper, Dickinson's Ted Hinnenkamp grabbed a loose ball rebound and connected on a layup as time expired, giving the Red Devils the victory.

After Ljuljdjuraj's bucket, Dickinson pushed the ball up the court before Brandon Angradi's three-point shot in the final seconds was blocked by Tavon Sledge (Spring Valley, N.Y.).  The ball was hit loose out of Sledge's hands as Hinnenkamp found the ball and connected on a layup as the buzzer sounded.

The loss is just the second for the Falcons this season as they end the year with an impressive 28-2 overall record.  The Falcons' 28 win tally is also a single-season record for the program, having reached that number in two previous seasons (2013-14 and 2011-12).

In a game that featured 14 tied scores and 21 lead changes, the Falcons shot 40.3% from the floor, 26.3% (5-of-19) from behind the arc, and 13-of-24 from the charity stripe.  Dickinson out-rebounded the Falcons 42-41 as well.

Eian Davis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led the Falcons with 23 points before fouling out with 4:35 left to go in the contest.  He shot 10-of-14 from the floor and was 3-of-3 from behind the arc in 27 minutes of work. He led the Falcons at the half with 13 points as the Falcons, as a team, shot 48.6% from the field in the opening frame.

At the halftime break, Albertus led 44-42 thanks to the 13 points by Davis and 12 points by Sledge.  Dickinson shot 46.7% from the floor in the first half and hit 11 of its 12 free-throw attempts. Brandon Angradi tallied 13 of his 15 total points in the opening frame.

In the second half of play, Albertus led by as many as eight points with 12:40 left to go in the contest but the Red Devils battled back to tie the contest and eventually take the lead late in the game.  

After a Sledge free throw gave Albertus a 66-65 edge with 3:36 left on the clock, Gerry Wixted hit back-to-back three pointers to give Dickinson its largest lead of the game of five points, 71-66, with 2:40 to go.

Albertus cut the score to one at the 1:29 mark, making the score 71-70, before the Red Devils added a free throw to take a two-point lead.

After a missed free throw, a defensive rebound by Lemar Larsen (Waterbury, Conn.) sparked an offensive opportunity for the Falcons as Ljuljdjuraj connected on a jumper to tie the score at 72 apiece with 11 seconds left on the clock.  

Dickinson out-rebounded the Falcons 42-41 in the contest.

Ljuljdjuraj finished the game with his 22nd double-double of the year as he tallied 13 points and 15 rebounds, including 11 of the defensive end. Sledge finished the game with 17 points, five assists and five rebounds for the Falcons.

Dickinson shot 45.6% (26-of-57) from the floor and were led by Hinnenkamp's 28 points and 13 rebounds in 31 minutes of work. Wixted added 18 points and eight rebounds, while Angradi tallied 15 points on the night.

The Falcons are now 5-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.