CHESTERTOWN, Md. – McDaniel hit five of its eight free-throw attempts in the final minute to stave off Washington (Md.) and escape with a 65-61 Centennial Conference (CC) men's basketball victory on Wednesday.

Tim Stewart (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna) recorded 23 points and eight rebounds to lead the Green Terror (12-8, 7-6 CC), who snapped its four-game losing streak with the victory.

Four players reached double figures fort he Shoremen (2-18, 2-11 CC), including 12 points each from Pat Morgan, Dave Knox and Joey Shelton. James Drury rounded out the quartet with 10 points.

Trailing 36-31, Stewart converted a three-point play with 18:05 to play in the second half to spark a 9-0 run. Duane Echols (Jessup, Md./Hammond) hit a 3-pointer and Stewart capped the burst with a second conventional three-point play with 16:47 showing.

Two Morgan free throws and a Knox layup evened the game 34 seconds later before Wes Brooks (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) hit one of his three 3-pointers to put the visitors back in front.

After a single Andrew Merlo (Rehoboth, Del./Cape Henlopen) free throw stretched the lead to four, Shelton and Josh McWilliams (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) traded 3-pointers to keep the margin at four with 13:58 showing.

A pair of 1-for-2 showings from Stewart from the charity stripe stretched the lead as large as six at 51-45 with 8:20 to play.

Five straight points from Shelton trimmed the deficit to one just 64 seconds later.

Clinging to a 57-56 lead, Brooks drained a triple with 4:30 on the clock to push the lead back to four.

Knox converted a three-point play with 2:08 showing and the Shoremen defense thwarted a one-minute possession to take possession, trailing by one with 1:03 to play.

An offensive foul and technical with 45 ticks remaining sent Merlo to the line. The senior sank three of four attempts over the next 20 seconds to push the lead back to four with 25.2 seconds left.

Weston drove to make it a two-point game once again with 18.5 seconds left but Merlo hit two more free throws two seconds later and the defense did its job to get the win.

Behind a Stewart three-point play and Echols 3-pointer, McDaniel built a 6-2 lead in the game's first 2:08 before Washington reeled off the next nine points to take an 11-6 advantage with 13:49 remaining in the first half.

Back-to-back baskets from Stewart and Brooks 3-pointer turned a 17-12 deficit into a 19-17 edge with 8:02 on the clock.

Williams stretched the Green Terror's lead as large as 25-20 before the Shoremen countered with 12 of the half's final 14 points to take a 32-27 lead into the locker room.

Brooks finished with 11 points while Echols added 10. Merlo chipped in eight points and four assists while Phillip Perry (Crownsville, Md./Annapolis Area Christian) napped a career-best five steals.

McDaniel returns to action at home against Haverford on Saturday. Game time is 3 p.m.

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