Geneva men fight back from 13-point deficit; But lose at buzzer - Geneva College
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Geneva men fight back from 13-point deficit; But lose at buzzer

Picture of Geneva men fight back from 13-point deficit; But lose at buzzer

gcm185.jpgWASHINGTON, PA - After falling behind by as many as 13 points in the first half, Geneva fought back to take the lead in the second half and then held it for most of the final seven minutes. With two seconds left, Geneva had a 61-59 lead but Brett Rubin-Goldstein hit a desperation half-court shot at the buzzer that sent the Golden Tornadoes to their 16th straight loss. Geneva falls to 4-20, 0-15 in the Presidents′ Athletic Conference.

"We fought back hard," said Geneva coach Jeff Santarsiero. "We had pressure on the ball at the end and had a hand in the guy′s face - we did everything right but he sank a 60-foot shot. I knew as soon as it left his hand that it was good.

"It′s been one of those years."

Two players stood out in Geneva′s late push. Junior Tyler Damazo (Blackhawk) gave Geneva the lead three times in the final seven and a half minutes and finished with a double-double - 13 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Jacob Grim (Mohawk) was the last minute hero - before Rubin-Goldstein stole the mantle from him. In the final minute, Grim had the basket that gave Geneva its last lead, a blocked shot and a steal.

Senior Jordan Harbison (Portersville Christian School) also had 11 points for Geneva.

"I′m disappointed for the guys," Santarsiero said. "I′m proud of their effort and I just told them to take that kind of effort into the weekend."

Geneva now travels to Westminster Saturday afternoon for the regular season finale, looking to avoid tying the school record losing streak of 17 set in 1981-82. The Golden Tornadoes will then travel to Westminster again Monday for the preliminary round of the PAC playoffs. Saturday will be the 211th meeting in the long rivalry.

Geneva College invites students to accept the challenge of an academically excellent, Christ-centered education. Offering nearly 40 undergraduate majors, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and campus-based options, and seven graduate degrees, Geneva has programs that place students at the forefront of higher learning. Adhering to the inerrancy of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God′s word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today′s world.

Feb 19, 2014