New York, NY - No one saw this coming. Hunter College upset Trinity College (Conn.), ranked #6 in NCAA Division III, by a 74-73 margin Tuesday evening at the Sportsplex. On a night when the Hawks honored their senior class, the dynamic backcourt of Lorcan Precious and Ricardo Reimers did not disappoint, combining for 42 points and 11 rebounds to lead Hunter to the stunning upset.
Trinity was true to form early in the contest as the Bantams used their tremendous size advantage to build a 31-21 lead with six minutes remaining in the first half. The Hawks then came storming back with an impressive 18-4 run behind a brilliant barrage of three-point shooting by the 61 Precious, 63 sophomore forward/center Mark Johnston and 64 freshman forward Gerard Ciarleglio.
Hunter took a 39-35 lead into the locker room at the break. While the Hawks were buoyed by a fairly balanced attack in the early going, Trinity was almost singlehandedly powered by the brawn of 66 sophomore center Tyler Rhoten as he recorded 21 points and nine rebounds in the first half.
The Hawks would extend their lead to as many as nine in the second half, going up 48-39 on a pair of free throws by Reimers at the 17:33 mark. Hunter continually went to the explosive 60 Reimers on isolation drives inside to maintain its momentum, but Trinity would eventually take a 71-70 lead when Rhoten tipped in a missed lay-up, took a foul from Ciarleglio in the process, and canned the ensuing free throw with 3:36 remaining on the clock. Another Precious three-pointer gave Hunter a 73-71 advantage at 2:58, but Rhoten answered with a reverse at 2:35 to knot the score at 73-73.
Johnson then committed two critical turnovers in the next two minutes, but Trinity was unable to convert as 64 junior guard John Halas missed a pair of potential go-ahead shots. Ciarleglio clanged a three-pointer off the backboard with 47 seconds remaining and Johnson grabbed the rebound, but the officials ruled that the ball never touched the rim and called a shot clock violation.
Trinity was again unable to seize the momentum as Ciarleglio was able to force 64 senior forward Shaun Smyth into a turnover just across the halfcourt line. Smyth then fouled Precious as the Hawks were attempting to run a breakaway. Precious uncharacteristically missed the first free throw but calmly hit the second to give the Hawks a 74-73 lead with 8.8 seconds left in the game.
The Bantams called timeout to set up a final play, but Hunters presure defense forced Rhoten into an off-balance leaner from about 12 feet out. The desperation heave hit the backboard and Reimers came down with the rebound as time expired, sending the astonished crowd of 230 into a frenzy.
Precious led Hunter with 23 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. He also hit six three-pointers in the game to tie the single season school record of 76, set by George Brown back in 1997-98. Reimers added 19 points, six rebounds, and three steals. The Hawks (10-14) also received a tremendous boost from the frontcourt of Ciarleglio and Johnston, who contributed 13 points apiece.
Rhoten finished with 38 points and 16 rebounds to lead Trinity (20-3). Junior Craig Coupe, a 68 forward, netted 17 points and 12 rebounds while floor general John Halas added six points, seven rebounds, and eight assists for the Bantams. Trinity lost for the second time in its last three games.
Hunters shocking victory is its first win over a nationally ranked team in the five-year tenure of head coach Bill Healy. The Hawks have now won three straight games for the first time since starting the season 3-0. With a roster consisting mostly of guards and undersized forwards, Hunter was competitive in most contests but has been worn down throughout the season by larger teams.