NCAA News Wire
Towson 63, USC Upstate 60
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Towson guard Four McGlynn hit a 3-pointer from just beyond halfcourt as time expired to give Towson a stunning 63-60 victory at South Carolina Upstate in the first round of the College Insider Tournament and cap off a wild final seven seconds.
Tigers forward Jerrelle Benimon hit a layup with 6.7 seconds remaining to give the Tigers a 60-58 lead, but after a timeout Spartans guard Ty Greene went coast to coast to tie the game with 1.8 seconds left. Towson (24-10) got the ball to McGlynn, who released the ball just before time expired.
It was a brutal way to end the season for USC Upstate (19-15), making its first postseason appearance as a Division I school. But the referees reviewed the shot on the monitor to confirm the ball left McGlynn’s hands in time, sending the Tigers onto the second round.
Benimon’s 20 points and nine rebounds led the Tigers. Forward Marcus Damas and guard Mike Burwell each added 11. McGlynn, who proved to be the hero, was 2-for-8 from the floor before that desperation heave.
The Tigers, making their first postseason appearance since 1991, trailed 39-26 at intermission, but scored the first 11 points of the second half to get back in the game. Towson took the lead for the first time on a layup by swingman Rafriel Guthrie with 8:33 to play, and no team led by more than three points the rest of the way.
Forward Jodd Maxey scored 15 points to lead the Spartans. Forward Torrey Craig added 14 points and Greene 10.
