The Middlebury men's basketball team held a 67-65 lead with 5:31 left, but Hamilton utilized a 7-2 run over the next 3:44 and hung on for a 76-71 decision on Saturday.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers opened the contest with an 8-2 run, kicked off with a jumper from Oliver Urena with 3:27 expired.
• The teams traded points until the 10:16 mark when Owen Kane made a layup to knot the score at 17-17.
• Hamilton would answer the tie with a 10-5 spurt, finishing with a jumper from Sharif Nelson with 5:20 remaining for a 27-22 lead.
• The Panthers tied the game over a minute later on a three-pointer from Maxwell Alberts.
• Trailing by two with 43 ticks remaining in the opening stanza, Kane made two free throws to send the teams to the locker room knotted at 35-35. 
• The Continentals started the second stanza with a 22-8 run, grabbing a 55-41 advantage at the 14:29 mark. The spurt was highlighted with 10 points each from Garret Keyhani and Hank Morgan.
• Middlebury rattled off an 11-2 run over the next four minutes, fueled by consecutive threes by Edward Witherington to move within 57-52.
• The Panthers chipped away at the deficit, tying the game (61-61) at the 8:01 mark. 
• Trading small leads, Middlebury took a 67-65 edge on a Witherington layup with 5:31 left.
• The Continentals put together seven of the next nine points, grabbing a 72-69 lead on a charity toss from Garret Keyhani with 1:47 on the clock.
• A bucket by Sam Stevens pulled the Panthers to within one, but Hamilton converted four free throws for the final 76-71 decision.

NOTES

• Witherington led the Panthers with 20 points.
• Sawyer Ramey handed out a career-best seven assists to go alongside four points and four rebounds.
• David Brennan secured 11 rebounds to put him at 965 in a Panther uniform.
• The programs squared off for the 51st time. 

The Panthers close the regular-season portion of their schedule with a 12-12 record.