Wolfpack Pull Out Thrilling OT Win at Butler
BUTLER, Pa. - Cam McKinney scored the tying basket with two seconds left in regulation and then scored the go-ahead bucket with 53 seconds left in overtime to lift the Westmoreland County Community College men's basketball team to a 107-104 overtime triumph at Butler County Community College.
The Pioneers took a 49-43 lead at halftime, but Westmoreland scored the first six points of the second half and it was a back and forth affair the rest of the way. The Wolfpack looked to have control when they pulled ahead 86-79 with 90 seconds to play, but Butler roared back with 10 straight points to take an 89-86 lead with 20 seconds left. Dan McQuaide scored a bucket with nine ticks on the clock to bring Westmoreland within a point. After Butler made a free throw, the second was missed and following a timeout, McKinney went end-to-end to score with two seconds remaining. The Wolfpack very nearly won the game in regulation when Joel Lonigro stole the inbounds pass but his shot at the buzzer rolled off the rim and the game went to overtime.
The teams exchanged the lead several times in the extra session, but the final change occured when McKinney got to the rim for a lay-up with 53 seconds left. From there, Westmoreland went 5-for-6 from the foul line down the stretch, including Jake Biros going 4-for-4, to secure the victory.
McKinney's clutch baskets capped off a huge night, as he scored a season-high 37 points and also pulled down seven rebounds. In addition to his big free throws in the closing seconds, Biros cashed in five three-pointers and scored 19, while McQuaide also hit for 19 markers and made five steals. Rounding out the big performers were Travis McCoy, who totaled 17 points and 21 rebounds, and Lonigro, who contributed 10 points and passed out six assists.
The Wolfpack will conclude the regular season Monday night when they host CCAC in a rescheduled game that was postponed Friday because of the weather. With Saturday's win over Butler, Westmoreland has clinched the fourth seed and a home game in the WPCC Tournament. After the game Monday, the Wolfpack will host Butler in that quarterfinal game Friday night at 6 pm.