Replay Waves Off Buzzer-Beater as Skyhawks Escape Raptors 905, 125-124

For a moment, it looked as though the College Park Skyhawks had let one slip away. Malachi Smith rose for a pull-up jumper from just inside 20 feet as the final horn sounded, the ball dropped through the net and Raptors 905 began celebrating what appeared to be a game-winner, but officials went to the monitor, ruled the shot did not beat the clock and overturned the basket, sending the Gateway Center Arena crowd home happy and keeping the Skyhawks unbeaten with a 125-124 win.

The opening quarter set the tone for a night when neither team could ever get comfortable, as both sides traded baskets at a fast pace before College Park took a 34-30 lead into the second quarter.

The Skyhawks stretched their advantage early in the second and built their largest lead of the night when they went up 41-30, but Raptors 905 answered with a 34-point quarter of its own to stay within striking distance, and College Park carried a 69-64 lead into halftime.

The third quarter belonged to Raptors 905, who outscored the Skyhawks 31-28 and turned the game into a one-possession contest heading into the final period, with College Park clinging to a 97-95 edge after three.

The fourth quarter became a back-and-forth fight in a game that featured 16 lead changes and nine ties, and Raptors 905 appeared to take control when it built its largest lead of the night at 115-109. The Skyhawks refused to fold and clawed their way back in front, and with three seconds remaining Tyreke Key fouled RayJ Dennis to send him to the line with a chance to extend a one-point lead, but Dennis missed both free throws and Jamarion Sharp pulled down the rebound to give Raptors 905 one final look. Sharp found Smith for the pull-up jumper that fell at the horn, and the basket was initially counted before the replay review wiped it off the board and preserved the 125-124 final.

Dennis finished with a game-high 30 points and 10 assists, going 9-of-19 from the field and 4-of-10 from three-point range, while Jalen Wilson added 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists and knocked down four of his eight attempts from deep. Keon Johnson was efficient with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, Kobe Johnson posted a double-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and three steals, and Devon Higgs gave College Park 12 points off the bench.

The Skyhawks found a way to win despite a rough night at the free-throw line, where they converted just 15 of their 28 attempts, by making up the difference on the glass and in the passing lanes, outrebounding Raptors 905 45-41, winning the second-chance battle 16-8 and racking up 15 steals.

Smith led Raptors 905 with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting to go with five assists and three steals, and Key scored 23 on an efficient 8-of-11 from the field. Tyson Degenhart provided 17 points off the bench, Nimari Burnett and Kevin McCullar Jr. each added 16, with McCullar grabbing 10 rebounds, and Sharp pulled down a team-high 11 boards. Raptors 905 shot 51.7 percent from the field, hit 14 three-pointers and got 41 points from its bench, but 24 turnovers and 34 personal fouls proved costly, as College Park turned those giveaways into 24 points and got to the free-throw line 28 times.

The win moves the Skyhawks to 2-0 on the season, while Raptors 905 falls to 0-2.