Men's Basketball | 2/9/2010 10:09:01 PM

Click for Box Score

ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT (9-11, 5-6 E8) men's basketball team won an overtime thriller defeating Nazareth College (15-8, 10-4 E8) 89-87 in Empire 8 action on Tuesday evening. Sophomore Brendan Harder (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) laid the ball in with six seconds remaining in overtime off an assist from Nate Korinchak (Strongsville, OH/Strongsville) to give the Tigers the win. He finished with a career high 33 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the floor.

RIT led 42-26 at the half shooting 63.3 percent from the floor. The Tigers were 3-of-7 from behind the arc led by Harder who had 11 first half points. Anthony Terry (Rochester, NY/Bishop Kearney) chipped in seven and Nate Korinchak (Strongsville, OH/Strongsville) added six.

The Tigers built their lead to 18 points out of halftime on a layup by Harder, but Nazareth chipped away at the lead tying the score with 2.3 seconds remaining in the half on a three pointer by Tyshun Stephens.

Nazareth ran off the first five points in the overtime period before a pair of free throws by Harder cut the Golden Flyers lead to 83-80.

After a Corey McAdam layup built the lead back to five, Harder stepped back and drained his second three pointer of the game and just his third third of the season cutting the Flyers lead to 85-83.

Jason Corletta's layup with 2:09 to play gave Nazareth a four point lead, but that didn't last long as Nate Korinchak (Strongsville, OH/Strongsville) drove in and laid the ball in making the score 87-85 Nazareth.

With 56 seconds remaining and the Tigers down two points sophomore guard Justin Heisig (Levittown, NY/Island Trees) tied the score at 87 all on a layup. He drove the hoop and laid the ball in over the out-stretched hands of several Nazareth defenders.

After a Nazareth miss  and a RIT timeout Korinchak dribbled through a Nazareth trap and drove to the basket. He drew Harder's defender to him and dished the ball off to Harder for the game-winning layup.

Anthony Terry (Rochester, NY/Bishop Kearney) finished with 16 points for the Tigers, and Korinchak had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists. Scott Young (Almond, NY/Hornell) had nine points and 10 rebounds and Marcus Lowe (Anchorage, AK/Service) added four points, six assists and three rebounds for RIT who will travel to Elmira College on Friday, February 12. Tip-off is at 8 pm in Elmira, New York.