Smith Hits Game Winner with One Second Left to Lift Mohawk Valley over M State

Two of the top teams in the country locked horns in a NJCAA Division III National Basketball Tournament semifinal game on Friday night with second-ranked Mohawk Valley hitting the game winning shot with one second on the clock to advance to the championship game with a 92-90 victory over the M State Spartans.  The Hawks will match-up with host team, Herkimer College, at 4:00pm Saturday to decide the champion, while M State has a third place date with Dallas-Richland at 1:00pm.

Rebounding was key in the win for Mohawk Valley as they held a 38-31 edge on the boards, including 17 offensive rebounds. Fouls also played a key role in the contest as Foday Sheriff had to sit for about 7 minutes in the second half with 4 fouls and Tyson McArthur also had to sit for a spell with 4 fouls. Both teams shot the ball well with the Hawks making 49% (32-65) of their field goal attempts, hitting 10-of-21 (47.6%) of their 3's, and going 18-21 (85.7%) from the free throw line.  M State shot 46% (29-63) overall, 48.4% (15-31) from beyond the arc, and 89.5% (17-19) from the charity stripe.

The game featured 12 ties and 17 lead changes with the final lead change occurring when Jamir Smith hit a 17-footer with one second remaining for the winning basket.  The game was tied at 88-88 with 1:25 left in the game.  Braylon Baldwin hit a pair of free throws with one minute to play, giving M State a 90-88 lead, however, Andre Pasha nailed a pair of free throws to tie the game at 90-90.  The Spartans had a chance to grab the lead but a Mason Muir floater missed, setting up the opportunity for the Hawks to work the clock down for the last second shot.

Mason Muir (28 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists), Foday Sheriff (25 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks), Yonis Mohamud (20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists) and Braylon Baldwin (10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) led the Spartans.

Jamir Smith led Mohawk Valley with 24 points and Jalen Bradberry added 23.  Isaiah Earl contributed 21 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.  Andre Pasha finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds, and Alex Barnhill chipped in with 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots.

M State takes a 30-3 record into the third place game on Saturday.