Freshman forward Noah Farnsworth (Phoenix, AZ / North Pointe Prep) scored a career-high 14 points and knocked down the game-winning three-pointer with 24 seconds left as the ACPHS Panthers held on for an 86-83 victory over the Columbia Greene Community College Twins on Thursday night. Albany is now 3-5 overall, while the Twins have dropped to 5-3.

This game was an official's dream throughout, as the teams combined to commit 58 personal fouls and attempt an astonishing 68 free throws. These numbers were divided up relatively evenly between both squads though, which led to a back and forth contest that saw the scored tied 14 times and the lead change 12. It was the Panthers who jumped out to an early seven-point lead on the back of some early threes from Farnsworth and junior guard Naythan Beltran (Reading, PA / Antietam HS). The pair combined to score 22 of the Panthers 40 first-half points, but were unable to help ACPHS to a halftime lead. CGCC score the last five points of the half, and took a 43-40 lead into the break in large part to freshman Cameron Thomas' 11 points.

The teams once again traded shots in the second half, offset by the 34 second half fouls that continually kept either the Panthers or Twins from getting into an offensive groove. Albany was unable to push their lead past five for duration of the half, and that came back to bite them in the final minute, when Columia Greene's Jihadu Brunner-Brown nailed a spot-up three to tie the score at 81 with just over a minute to play. ACPHS got a quick layup by junior forward Edward Ahanmisi (Vancouver, BC / Bodwell High) to take the lead back, but Brunner-Brown answered with another jumper to set up the final possession for Albany. It was a well-drawn play out of a timeout from head coach Brett Barnard, as Farnsworth received a wide-open look off of a pass from senior guard Kyle Matousek (Jordan-Elbridge, NY / Jordan Elbridge HS) that he drilled for his third and final three-pointer of the game. CGCC called Brunner-bRown's number again in the closing seconds, but lightning didn't strike a third time.

In the end, it was a grit-and-grind win for the Panthers who were once again led in scoring by Nate Beltran who scored 25 points on 7-15 shooting. Matousek also had a big night, as he finished with 16 points, ten rebounds, five assists and three steals. The Twins had a pair of 20-point scorers in Thomas and Brunner-Brown, while two others finished in double figures. ACPHS was outrebounded 48-37, but made five more three-pointers and committed seven less turnovers. Albany will look to improve from the free-throw line in the future, as they went just 20-31 (65%) today.

ACPHS will look to ride this high into tomorrow, when they host Central Maine Community College at 4pm.