BARNESVILLE, Ga. – A goaltending call as time expired propelled Albany Tech to a stunning 75-74 win over Gordon State College in the 2021 season-opener for the Highlanders on Tuesday at the GSC Student Activity and Recreation Center Arena.
JahNile Hill (Manchester, Ga. / Manchester HS) had given GSC a 74-73 lead with 25 seconds remaining on a jumper from right of the key, but a wild flurry of action under the Albany Tech basket that included two previous missed shots before the goaltending call on GSC provided the one-point victory for the Titans.
Zeff Felton was credited with the final field goal for Albany Tech (2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association).
Trailing 42-26 at halftime, GSC (0-1, 0-1) came out on fire to start the second half and quickly tied the game at 49-49 with 12 minutes remaining.
GSC eventually pulled out to a nine-point lead at 63-54 with 7:10 to play when Hill, who led all scorers with 19 points, connected on a three-pointer.
But Albany Tech began to climb back into the game and took the lead at 73-72 on a layup by Jalen Nesmith with 1:17 to go, which set up the frantic finish.
Two GSC players had double-doubles as Isaiah Wray (Long Island, N.Y. / Union Grove HS) finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Trenton Gordon (Duluth, Ga. / Duluth HS) had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Shawn Smith (Conyers, Ga. / Newton County HS) added 13 points as the Highlanders finished with four players in double-figures.
Cameron Singletary led Albany Tech with 17 points.
The same two teams met again on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Albany while GSC is back home on Saturday as Southern Crescent Tech comes to Barnesville for a 1 p.m. contest. No spectators are allowed in the arena for the game at GSC.
The Gordon State College Department of Athletics is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA). Gordon State College competes in NJCAA Division I in the sports of Women's Soccer (Fall), Men's Basketball (Fall/Spring), Softball (Spring) and Baseball (Spring). Gordon State College is located in Barnesville, Ga., approximately 60 miles south of Atlanta and 35 miles northwest of Macon. Gordon State College offers both two-year and four-year degree programs and believes that our Athletics program provides student-athletes with the opportunity to be successful academically, athletically and in life after their time as a Highlander. Follow GSC Athletics at www.gscathletics.com, on Facebook (@GordonStateCollege #GSCHighlandersForward), on Twitter (@GordonState) and Instagram (gordon_state).
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