HAMPDEN-SYDNEY — The Baruch College head coach was issued a technical foul with 5.2 seconds left for calling a time-out when they were out of time-outs to help lift Hampden-Sydney basketball to a 51-49 win in the Luck Stone Holiday Classic.

Much confusion ensued with 12 seconds left in the contest when an official stopped play dead in the half court believing the Baruch head coach had called a time-out. After Baruch argued their case, the referees met to discuss and decided to not give the time-out. However, Baruch used it anyway a few seconds later before even inbounding the ball. Following the time-out that was actually called, Baruch used their final time-out with three seconds left on the shot clock and eight on the game clock. After that time-out, Joshua Vital drove from the left wing and finished a tough, one-handed, running jumper in the lane to tie the game at 48-48 with 5.2 seconds to go.

Before Hampden-Sydney could put the ball back in play, Baruch called for a time-out. However, they had used their last time-out just three seconds before and was thus called for a two-shot technical foul. Khobi Williamson (Norfolk/Maury) missed the first technical free throw but made the second. H-SC still maintained possession with an underneath out of bounds on the other end of the court. Mike Murray (Norfolk/Norfolk Christian) freed himself from his defender to catch the inbounds pass from Fletcher Lumpkin (Richmond/Mills Godwin) and was fouled with three ticks left on the clock. Leading 49-48, Murray made two clutch freebies to put the Tigers ahead 51-48.

Following a H-SC time-out, Baruch threw a long baseball pass into the front court. Williamson looked to have gotten a turnover to seal the game, but he was called for pushing Matt Feldman out of bounds with 1.7 seconds remaining. Feldman made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second. The ball hit off the rim's right side and went headed toward the right corner before Leon Hargrove (Raleigh, NC/Middle Creek) corralled the rebound as time expired.

The game was tied 20-20 at halftime as the two squads combined to shoot just 11-50 from the floor and 1-13 from three range along with 16 turnovers in the opening frame. Williamson was dominant to start the second half, going on a personal 8-0 run in the first three minutes to put the Tigers ahead 28-20 at the 17:20 mark. Following a Feldman free throw and a Raymond De La Cruz trifecta, Greg Lewis (Mechanicsville/Hanover) and Mitch Owens (Williamsburg/Walsingham) scored the next five to push the H-SC advantage to 33-24. That would be the largest lead either team would have the rest of the game.

After two Murray free throws kept H-SC ahead by seven, 37-30, with 12:31 left, Barch went on a 7-0 run over two minutes to tie the ball game. The Tigers couldn't shake Baruch and the game remained knotted at 42-42 at 4:15. Lewis drained a triple at the three-minute mark, but Baruch took a 46-45 lead following a free throw from Edward Roscigno and a three from Matt Feldman at 1:31. Murray responded with a three-pointer of his own on the next possession, grabbing a 48-46 lead for H-SC with 59 seconds remaining. After that, the wildness of the last 12 seconds decided the game.

Williamson was named the Luck Stone Holiday Classic MVP and Stephen Vassor (Roanoke Rapids, NC/Brunswick) and Hargrove were named to the All-Classic team. Nate Bellhy (Washington & Jefferson), Raymond De La Cruz (Baruch), and Manny Hernandez (Lynchburg) rounded out the All-Classic team.

Williamson scored a game-high 14 points, shooting 6-10 from the field, along with eight rebounds. Lewis added 11 points, and Hargrove contributed seven points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Sasha Obradovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Hawaii Prep) reeled in a game-high 10 boards while Murray came off the bench to add on nine points and three assists.

Hampden-Sydney dominated on the glass 46-31 leading to a decisive 14-2 edge in second change points, but Baruch held a big advantage in points off turnovers, 18-4.