WICHITA — Quentin Hardrict Jr. scored a game high 19 points, including two critical free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining in regulation, to help the Pittsburg State University men's basketball team hold off Newman University, 69-64, Wednesday (Dec. 7) at Fugate Gymnasium.
 
Pitt State (4-5, 2-2 MIAA) led by seven points, 60-53, with 4:51 to play on the game, before Newman (4-5, 1-2 MIAA) scored six straight to trim the margin to one, 60-59, with 2:27 to go.
 
Neither team scored again until Pitt State's Albert McBride hit an inside bucket and a free throw to complete a three-point play and make it a 63-59 game with 47 seconds remaining in the contest.
 
R.J. Forney Jr. made one of two free throws with 33 ticks remaining for a 64-59 Gorillas advantage, but the Jets Sam Somerhalder scored eight seconds later to trim the margin to 64-61.
 
McBride then made one of two free throws with 18 seconds left to make it a two-possession game, but Latik Murphy hit a second-chance 3-pointer to draw Newman within a point, 65-64, with four ticks on the clock.
 
Following a timeout, Pitt State's Deshaun English II inbounded the ball to Hardrict, who was fouled and converted the two big free throws with 1.7 seconds to go.
 
The Jets turned the ball over on the ensuing inbounds play and then had to foul the Gorillas' Magic Reliford. Reliford then iced the game by hitting a pair of free throws.
 
Hardrict made seven of 11 shots from the floor to help the Gorillas shoot 41.8 percent (23-55) overall in the contest. McBride added 16 points, while English chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds.
 
Stevie Strong led four NU players in double figures with 16 points, while Somerhalder finished with 14 points.
 
Pitt State will return to action Sunday (Dec. 11) when the Gorillas travel to Edmond, Okla., to battle MIAA rival University of Central Oklahoma at 3:30 p.m. (CST) at Hamilton Field House.