CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, (518) 629-7898 or (518) 416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, November 18, 2023

The Hudson Valley Community College men's basketball team couldn't close out North Country as the Vikings were defeated 88-84 in overtime in the Spark Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon in Saranac Lake, NY.

Hudson Valley had to fight back to force overtime as they were trailing by as many as 10 points with nearly eight minutes remaining in the game. Hudson Valley continued to chip away at the lead and trailed by two points with 15 seconds remaining in the game. Following a missed free throw by North Country, the Vikings quickly advanced the ball up court and Jason Harrison was fouled under the basket and was awarded two free throws and an opportunity to tie the game. Harrison came through with two clutch free throws and tied the game at 71-71. North Country was unable to get a clean shot off as time ran out and the game entered the extra period.

In overtime, the Vikings jumped out to a 10-3 run and took a commanding 81-74 lead with just under 2:30 minutes remaining in the game. In the final 120 seconds of the game, North Country went on a 12-3 run to overtake the Vikings and steal the win.

Hudson Valley led 84-83 with 21 seconds remaining in the game. Coming out of a timeout, North Country forced two straight turnovers, resulting in back-to-back baskets and went ahead 87-84 on the Vikings with 4.9 seconds left for a late game three-point attempt.

Freshman guard, James Blake II finished with a team-high 26 points and Brandon Gordon finished with 17 points. Big man Keyaton Parks also finished with double-digit scoring as he tallied 11 points on four field goals and went 3-of-5 from the free throw line.

The men's basketball team falls to 0-6 on the season and will return to action following the Thanksgiving break on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 5 p.m. as they welcome SUNY Adirondack to the McDonough Sports Complex on the campus of HVCC.