LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Ryan Holmes' (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter School (CC of Philadelphia)) three-point play with 13.5 seconds remaining and Jason Shields' (Scranton, Pa./Scranton (Jefferson University)) drawn charge on the ensuing defensive possession lifted the HFU men's basketball to a 63-60 triumph at Georgian Court on Tuesday night.
 
Trailing by a game-high nine points with 15:48 to go, Shields scored the first six and Holmes the last eight of a 14-0 run that ended with Holmes putting the Tigers on top 47-42 with 11:47 left. 
 
That was the first of five five-point advantages for HFU, the final of which came when two Aamir Hurst (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti) free throws pushed the cushion to 56-51 with 5:23 to play. 
 
But the Lions tied it up at 56 and then again at 58, after Hurst had put the Tigers back ahead. 
 
Georgian Court then regained the lead for the first time since the 13:33 mark on a floater with just 1:07 remaining. 
 
After both teams got a stop, Holmes and Shields came through with their respective clutch plays on both ends of the floor. 
 
Shields would then make two free throws with just two seconds on the clock, before a Lions half court heave at the buzzer was off the mark.
 
Individual Highlights

• Holmes led Holy Family with 14 points and a game-high four assists, while Shields finished with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds
• Vernon Johnson (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) led all players with a career-best four steals
• Hurst and Ethan Pires (Dover, Del./The Pennington School (Millersville University)) were also in double-figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively

 
Inside the Box Score

• The Tigers held a 29-20 edge in points off turnovers

 
How it Happened

• Georgian Court led the entirety of the first half after scoring the first five points, including by as many as eight, 8-16, following seven unanswered
• Holy Family came right back with six in a row, with Tairi Ketner (Philadelphia, Pa./Woodstock Academy (University at Albany)) points sandwiching a Johnson 3-pointer, and remainder of the half was played within two possessions
• A Hurst triple also made it a two-point game, 17-19, with 7:45 left in the first
• The Lions closed the half with two free throws in the final 50 seconds for a 27-32 score-line entering the locker room
• Georgian Court established two game-high nine-point advantages in the first 4:12 of the second, the second of which came at 33-42 with 15:48 to go

 
Up Next
Holy Family returns home to host Dominican this Saturday at 3 p.m.