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ROCHESTER, NY – Sophomore guard Kris Kowalczyk (Albany, NY/Colonie) (Albany, NY/Colonie) hit four free-throws in the final 20 seconds, breaking a 69-69 tie and giving the RIT men’s basketball team (9-7, 3-2 Empire 8) a hard-fought 73-69 victory over conference rival Nazareth College on Tuesday evening at the Clark Gym.

 

After Justin Fladd gave Nazareth a 69-67 lead with 1:49 left, RIT responded immediately, as freshman Mark Carson (Voorheesville, NY/Voorheesville) (Voorheesville, NY/Voorheesville) scored on a lay-up to knot the game with 1:32 remaining.

 

Senior Drew Martin (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) forced a Nazareth over-and-back turnover with just over a minute left, giving RIT a chance to take the lead.  RIT could not get back in front, but got a second straight stop, setting up Kowalczyk’s heroics.

 

Kowalczyk gave RIT a 71-69 lead with a pair of free-throws with 20 seconds left.  On Nazareth’s ensuing possession, sophomore guard Colin Roy (Malta, NY/Ballston Spa) (Malta, NY/Malta) got a piece of a Matt Groot’s 3-point attempt.  The rebound came to Kowalczyk who was fouled.  He then sealed the win with a pair of free throws.

 

Fran Snyder (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon St. Jude) (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon St. Jude) led RIT with 14 points, six assists and four steals.  Barrett Zeinfeld (Tuscon, AZ/Catalina Foothills) (Tucson, AZ/Catalina Foothills) and Kowalczyk finished with 13 points each.

 

Roy chipped in with eight points and four assists.  Carson had seven points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.  Tim Bacon (Massena, NY/Massena) (Massena, NY/Massena) led the Tigers with seven rebounds and scored six points.

 

Matt Groot led Nazareth with 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting.  Joe Canori scored 21 points and recorded six steals, five rebounds and three assists.  Kyle Nelson recorded a double-double, scoring 10 points and adding 10 boards.

 

Nazareth held a 46-35 advantage on the boards, but turned the ball over 19 times.  RIT had 21 assists on 24 field goals. 

 

Nazareth jumped out to a 37-32 lead at the intermission, spurred on by 26 points from the duo of Groot and Canori.  In addition, the Golden Flyers dominated the glass over the opening half, out-rebounding the Tigers 28-13.

 

Zeinfeld kept the Tigers in the game early on, scoring all of his 13 points in the first half.  The second-year guard scored eight consecutive points for RIT late in the first half, single-handedly cutting an eight point Tiger deficit down the three.

 

The Golden Flyers went on a 10-0 run over a 2:14 spurt to take its biggest lead of the half, 28-20, on a 3-pointer by Groot with 5:54 left.

 

RIT won the game at the foul line, shooting 16-of-20 for a season best 80 percent.  Nazareth shot just 5-for-12 (41.7 percent) from the line. 

 

The Tigers are back in action on Friday night, as they host Hartwick in an Empire 8 conference game.  Tip-off is at 8 p.m.