Lyndonville, VT - The Northern Vermont University-Lyndon men's basketball team celebrated Senior Day with a come from behind 87-82 victory over Norwich University in Stannard Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon. The win gave the Hornets a sweep of the weekend pair of games against the Cadets, as Lyndon had picked up a 99-83 win at Norwich on Saturday.
The game was the final one of a COVID-abbreviated 2021 season for the Hornets. Lyndon finished the campaing with a 5-5 record, the first .500 or better season since the school rejoined the NCAA in 2008, and the first as an NCAA Division III program since 1979-1980. The Hornets also finish 3-2 at home, the first winning home record since 2013-2014. Norwich falls to 0-4 on their campaign.
Sunday's game got off to a sluggish start, as neither team could get anythign going on their first couple of possessions. Norwich finally got on the board first when Kyle Booth found Donovan Lewis Jr. inside for a layup, almost two minutes into the contest. The Hornets would not find their first points until Peyton Olsen (Middleburgh, NY) connected on a pair of free throws more than three minutes into the game.
After Jesse Davis put Norwich back in front, Kenan Hajdarevic (St. Johnsbury, VT) kicked to an open Olsen who knoocked down a three pointer to give Lyndon its first lead. The two teams excahnged the lead several times over the next minutes. When Luke Fredsell (Whitesboro, NY) drove and scored the Hornets had a 18-15 lead with 10:42 remaining in the opening half.
At that point the Hornets went cold, going scoreless over six minutes. Meanwhile the Cadets ran off 12 unanswered points, capped by a pair of free throws and a pull up jumper from Tayjuan McKenzie, to move in front, 27-18. Olsen finally broke the ice with a pair of free throws, but a putback basket from Spencer Conatser and another score by McKenzie extended the Norwich lead into double digits. The Cadets took the 11-point lead into intermission when McKenzie drained a three-pointer just before the buzzer.
Norwich was able to keep the Hornets at bay in the opening minutes of the second half, and when Lewis scored inside Norwich had its biggest lead, 63-49, with 10:45 remaining.
Following a Hornet timeout Lyndon began to climb back in it. Antonio Carlisle (St. Johnsbury, VT) found Olsen for a three pointer to start the rally. Then after McKenzie made one of two free throws, Carlisle knocked down a three of his own to cut the Norwich lead to single digits. After the teams traded scores, Norwich still held an 11-point advantage with 8:30 to go.
Lyndon's Tyrese Harris (Wiesbaden, Germany) was fouled on the Hornets' next possession and converted both shots. Lyndon then forced two consecutive Norwich turnovers and scored both times, an Olsen layup and a Zach Falkenburg (Bridgeport, NY) three-pointer, and suddenly the Norwich lead was down to 68-64 with 7:01 to go.
Following a Cadet timeout the Hornets forced another Norwich turnover and Harris found Olsen for a layup to cut the lead back to two. After a Lewis layup Olsen connected from long range and the Norwich lead was 70-69 with 6 minutes remaining.
The two teams then traded several scores before Lyndon freshman Mondwell Bukle (Stuttgart, Germany) knocked down a three-pointer to pull the Hornets even at 76-76 with 3:28 left. McKenzie scored inside on the next Norwich possession, then Norwich's Jalen Olivero was fouled following a Hornet turnover. Olicero converted one of two free throws to make it a three-point game.
Falkenburg was fouled on Lyndon's next trip down the floor and made one of two shots. Lyndon then forced another Norwich turnover and when Bukle found Carlisle open at the arc and Carlisle knocked it down Lyndon had their first lead since the early going. After a defensive stop Olsen hit another from long range and Lyndon was up by four, 83-79, with just over a minute to go.
Casinas was fouled going to the basket on the next possession and made both free throws, cutting the Lyndon lead to 83-81 with 50 seconds to go. Then, with the shot clock running down, Bukle connected on a huge three-pointer to put the Hornets up by five with just 23 seconds to go. The Hornets then held on for the 87-82 win.
Olsen led Lyndon with 25 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Falkenburg added 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Carlisle and Neal Mulligan (Marshfield, VT) also reached double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Davis paced the Cadets with 17 points. McKenzie added 16, and Booth posted a double double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Olivero added 13 points and Lewis chipped in ten points.
Before Sunday's game the Hornets honored their two seniors, Hajdarevic and Mulligan. Both have been four-year members of the program and are on track to graduate from NVU this spring.
