LEWISTON, N.Y. — In a thrilling finish on Friday night, Terrell Ard Jr. grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw and quickly dished the ball to Carmelo Pacheco, who sank a 3-pointer as time expired. This last-second shot propelled Mount St. Mary’s to an exhilarating 84-83 victory over Niagara.

With Mount St. Mary’s trailing by three points, Xavier Lipscomb stepped up to the free throw line needing to make a critical impact. He converted the first free throw to pull the team within two. His second attempt, however, missed the mark but was seized by Ard, who swiftly passed it to Pacheco. The latter made no mistake, landing the game-winning shot from the perimeter.

Dallas Hobbs was a standout performer for the Mountaineers, scoring 21 points with an impressive shooting performance that included 7 of 13 from the field and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. He also made 5 of 6 attempts from the charity stripe. Terrell Ard contributed with 13 points, shooting 6 of 8, along with securing seven rebounds. Jedy Cordilia also made his presence felt by scoring 13 points, going 5 of 9 from the field and adding another seven boards to his team’s efforts.

On the other side, Olumide Adelodun led the Purple Eagles with a remarkable 26 points, along with six rebounds and three steals. Jhaylon Martinez chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Jaeden Marshall also scored 11 points.

Mount St. Mary’s will be looking to continue their momentum when they face Canisius on Sunday, while Niagara is set to take on Siena the following Friday.