Wednesday, August 24th, SUSA Hauppauge New York, the Gotham Titans defeated Develup Hickey in the first round of the Premier Summer League playoffs by a final score of 70 - 67 to advance to a semi-final matchup against Castle Elite.
In one of the most exciting games in recent memory, the Titans showed immense grit and determination to claw back from a 10 point half time deficit and a 13 point deficit with 4:57 remining in regulation to force overtime led by the extraordinary play of Xavier Bala. The Titans employed a full court man to man press over the final 5 minutes of regulation to go on a 20-7 run, with all 20 points scored by Xavier, including a lay-up to tie the game with 8 seconds left. Stamati Sideridis and Romey Shaw led the defensive effort during the run accounting for multiple blocks and steals, turning Develup over 8 times within a 4-minute span. In the first overtime period, with the score 64-62 in favor of Develup and only 3 seconds left on the clock, Xavier drove to the basket drawing the foul. He stroked two free throws to send the game into a second overtime. In the final moments, with the score tied, Jack Lanyo was fouled on a three-point attempt from the corner, and with ice water in his veins sunk all three free throws to put the Titans ahead for good. Brendan LoFaro was "Mr. Do-It-All" all night and grabbed a crucial rebound with only seconds left on the clock. Following a quick desperation foul by Develup, Brendan hit both free throws to seal the game for the Titans. The final score was 70-67 with Xavier leading the way with an astounding 50 points. The game shut down the gym with over 150 fans clamoring to the court to see the thrilling end of the game. Next up is the semi-final matchup against Castle Elite.
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