ROCHESTER, NY- Daryl Coleman (Allentown, PA/Southern Lehigh) scored a game-high 24 points and helped fuel a late Keystone College rally as the Giants took Nazareth University to the final possession in a 74–73 setback Friday evening at Robert A. Kidera Gymnasium.
Keystone opened its season with a strong first half, building a double-digit advantage before taking a 37–31 lead into the locker room. After Nazareth moved ahead in the second half, the Giants battled back from a 10-point deficit in the closing minutes and had a chance to win at the buzzer.
Coleman finished 9-for-16 from the field and connected on three 3-pointers while adding four rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot. He scored 13 of Keystone's final 15 points, including a 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining that brought the Giants within one.
Lamaj Mapp (Darby, PA/Penn Wood) contributed eight points, a team-high nine rebounds, three assists and a block. Ahmodrion Jones (Wilmington, DE/Delcastle Tech) added eight points and a team-best four assists, while Izeir Mayben (Troy, NY/Elevation Prep) and Elijah Laird (Deltona, FL/Florida Memorial University) each finished with six points and three rebounds. Laird also led Keystone with two blocked shots.
The Giants established themselves early, scoring the game's first six points. Mapp opened the scoring with a 3-pointer off a Mayben assist, and Laird followed with a jumper and a free throw. Josh Brown (Phillipsburg, NJ/Bethlehem Catholic) later connected from beyond the arc to give Keystone an 11–4 advantage with 14:42 remaining in the opening half.
When Nazareth briefly moved in front, 18–17, Coleman answered with a basket and free throw to put Keystone back ahead. Jones added two free throws, and Marcus Le Roux (Paris, France/The Patrick School) knocked down a 3-pointer to extend the Giants' lead to 25–20.
Keystone's bench provided another lift late in the half. PJ Murphy (Scranton, PA/Scranton) hit a jumper before Ethan Sakwa (Tobyhanna, PA/Pocono Mountain West) scored on three layups during the final 4:08. Brown added a layup during that stretch, and Sakwa's basket with 1:47 remaining gave the Giants their largest lead at 37–27. Nazareth scored the final four points of the period, but Keystone carried a six-point advantage into halftime.
Coleman opened the second half with a layup to make it 39–31. Nazareth responded behind Corey Faines, and the teams traded the lead before the hosts built a 52–44 advantage midway through the period.
The Giants continued to answer. Mapp connected on a 3-pointer, Mayben followed with a triple of his own, and Jones added a layup as Keystone worked its way back within two. A Laird free throw trimmed the margin to 54–53 with 7:28 remaining.
Jones later knocked down a 3-pointer to bring Keystone within 61–58 at the 5:08 mark. Nazareth stretched its lead to 68–58 with 3:34 left, setting the stage for the Giants' closing push.
Coleman began the rally with a 3-pointer at 3:20. After two Nazareth free throws, Niame Scott (Philadelphia, PA/Mount Pleasant) converted both of his attempts at the line, and Coleman buried another triple off a Jones assist to cut the deficit to 70–66 with 1:43 remaining.
Coleman added a basket with 1:02 left and two free throws with 30 seconds remaining to keep Keystone within four. Following a Nazareth turnover, Jones found Coleman for his third 3-pointer of the evening, making it a one-point game with eight seconds to play.
Mayben secured the rebound after a missed Nazareth free throw with five seconds remaining, giving Keystone one final opportunity. Scott's 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark as the Giants finished just one point short.
Keystone received 21 points from its bench, led by Sakwa's six points on 3-for-6 shooting. Brown supplied five points and two rebounds, Scott added four points and two rebounds, Murphy contributed three points and two steals, and Le Roux finished with three points.
The Giants connected on nine 3-pointers, including six in the second half, and recorded six steals and four blocks. Keystone also forced 12 turnovers and converted those opportunities into 12 points.
Keystone aims to even their record as they continue their stay up at Nazareth to take on Muhlenberg in the Consolation Game scheduled for 2 PM on Saturday.
