After winning 27-straight games, the #7 Albertus Magnus men's basketball team fell to #10 Dickinson College at the buzzer as the Falcons ended their season with a heartbreaking 74-72 loss in the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament Second Round.
After the Falcons tied the game at 72 with 11 seconds left, thanks to a Victor Ljuljdjuraj (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) jumper, Dickinson's Ted Hinnenkamp grabbed a loose ball rebound and connected on a layup as time expired, giving the Red Devils the victory.
The loss is just the second for the Falcons this season as they end the year with an impressive 28-2 overall record. The Falcons' 28 win tally is also a single-season record for the program, having reached that number in two previous seasons (2013-14 and 2011-12).
Dickinson will advance to the Sweet 16 and are now 24-5 on the year.
In a game that featured 14 tied scores and 21 lead changes, the Falcons shot 40.3% from the floor, 26.3% (5-of-19) from behind the arc, and 13-of-24 from the charity stripe. Dickinson out-rebounded the Falcons 42-41 as well.
After a Sledge free throw gave Albertus a 66-65 edge with 3:36 left on the clock, Gerry Wixted hit back-to-back three pointers to give Dickinson its largest lead of the game of five points, 71-66, with 2:40 to go.
Albertus cut the score to one at the 1:29 mark, making the score 71-70, before the Red Devils added a free throw to take a two-point lead.
After a missed free throw, a defensive rebound by Lemar Larsen (Waterbury, Conn.) sparked an offensive opportunity for the Falcons as Ljuljdjuraj connected on a jumper to tie the score at 72 apiece with 11 seconds left on the clock. Dickinson pushed the ball up the court before Angradi's three-point shot in the final seconds was blocked by Sledge. The ball was hit loose out of Sledge's hands as Hinnenkamp found the ball and connected on a layup as the buzzer sounded.
Dickinson out-rebounded the Falcons 42-41 in the contest.
Ljuljdjuraj finished the game with his 22nd double-double of the year as he tallied 13 points and 15 rebounds, including 11 of the defensive end. Sledge finished the game with 17 points, five assists and five rebounds for the Falcons.
Dickinson shot 45.6% (26-of-57) from the floor and were led by Hinnenkamp's 28 points and 13 rebounds in 31 minutes of work. Wixted added 18 points and eight rebounds, while Angradi tallied 15 points on the night.
The Falcons are now 5-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.