Falcons win a THRILLER

Mequon

Skip Newton-Kemp's free throw with 13 seconds remaining provided the scoreboard difference, but it was an amazing TEAM defensive effort down the stretch that allowed the Falcons to come back from a game-long deficit and steal a 69-68 win over CU-Chicago last evening in the Buuck Fieldhouse.

The visiting Cougars held a 66-61 lead with four minutes remaining but managed just one field goal down the stretch as CUW clawed back. Kyle Barth hit a pair of free throws at 3:49 and followed with a layup at 3:23 before Kemp's jumper gave CUW the lead 67-66.

Chicago's final basket came at 1:37 via a Jame Morgan layup and Kemp created one final tie by going 1-2 from the line at 1:27.

Nobody scored again until Kemp's final free throw. Barth, returning to the lineup from injury, scored 19 points to lead the Falcons offensively while sharp-shooting Mitchell Schneider added 17.

Kemp, who was a KEY man offensively and defensively down the stretch, wound up with 13 and John Ulrich added 10.

Shawn Cassidy's team was in arrears 33- 23 with 15 seconds remaining in the first half but cut the deficit with five quick points including Schneider's buzzer-beating 3. That momentum appeared to carry over into the second half with every possession over the final twenty minutes being hotly contested in front of a boisterous CIT full house.

Deontay Young and Morgan each scored 16 for CU-Chicago and their teammate Justin Hineman had 12 points plus a game-high 14 rebounds.

CU-Chicago remains in first place in the NAC South with a 7-4 record while the Falcons are first in the North with the same 7-4 mark.

CUW will host Concordia-Nebraska for the CIT crown at 7:00pm on Saturday. The Cougars match up with Ann Arbor at 2:15.