BEL AIR, Md. - The Harford men's basketball team (5-7) dropped a close contest against Volunteer State (3-10) on Saturday, 76-73. The Fighting Owls had four attempts at a game-tying 3-pointer in the final minute of action that fell short, including two in the final six seconds.

The Pioneers took the lead for good with a nifty lay-in by Christian Lynn with 13:20 remaining to make the score 50-49. Harford would cut the lead back to one-point on four different occasions after that, including 72-71 after a pair of free throws by Malachi Seney with 1:17. 

VSU's Steven Nicks connected on an acrobatic lay-up a few second later to extend the lead back to three, but a missed lay-up with 40 seconds remaining and a missed front-end of a one-and-one attempt with eight seconds left kept Harford alive.

Exzavier Cooper led all scorers with 20 points while Cameron Smith added 18. Jon Warren and Seney chipped in with 13 and nine, respectively. 

Harford travels to the Brunswick Christmas Classic for three games in three days in Brunswick, N.C. from Dec. 17-19.