Annandale, Va. – Devin Smith's layup with three seconds left in regulation earned Harford their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, as the Fighting Owls took down the Northern Virginia Nighthawks (NOVA) 83-81 to tip off the regular season, Thursday.

The Nighthawks took a three-point lead into the half despite taking 11 fewer shots than Harford. Smith would keep the Fighting Owls afloat with his 11 first half points, as Harford shot 15-40 as a team in the opening 20 minutes.

Harford stayed hot on NOVA's heels until a 12-5 run from the Nighthawks pushed them ahead 68-61. The Fighting Owls would flip the script on their Virginia rivals, scoring 17 of the game's next 29 points to bring the score to 80-79 and force the Nighthawks to call a timeout.

During the break, the officials would inexplicably deduct two points from Harford, extending NOVA's lead back to 80-77.

After Nighthawks' Joe David knocked down one free throw, Harford's Kenneth Sumpter stormed down the floor only to be fouled by a NOVA defender. Sumpter would miss the first but make the second, leaving Harford trailing by three with a minute left..

After the free throw, Devin Smith would rip the ball from NOVA's Terrell Walker and bury a jumper to put the score at 81-80. Six seconds later, Walker would commit another turnover to give Harford a chance at the lead. The Fighting Owls drove down the floor but missed a shot, with the Nighthawks scooping up the rebound and calling time with 45 seconds on the clock.

NOVA would miss a three-point shot of their own out of the break, but Walker would rebound the ball and attempt two put back layups before Harford was whistled for a foul on his third attempt. Things went from bad to worse for Walker, as he would miss both free throws and give Harford the ball back with 20 seconds.

Harford head coach Mike Smelkinson would call for a timeout after the misses in order to conjure up a play. Things would not go exactly how Smelkinson planned, as Smith and Naquan Williams-Day would both miss on potential game winning jumpers. Williams-Day's shot, however, would be rebounded and laid back up by Smith with three seconds left, putting Harford ahead by one.

One final NOVA turnover and foul led to Jadeon Willis sinking a free throw, as Harford escaped with a two-point victory on the Nighthawks' home floor.

Game Notes

• Smith led all scorers with his 25 points on the evening, while Isaiah Boggs and Williams-Day both added 12 points and nine rebounds to the cause.
• Harford excelled out in transition, outscoring NOVA 18-0 in fastbreak points.
• The Nighthawks turned the ball over 30 times, leading to 31 points for the Fighting Owls.
• Both teams struggled from three-point range, shooting a combined 9-34 from distance.

Up Next
Harford heads to Bel Air for their first home game of the 2018-19 season, where they will face Richard Bland on Wednesday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m.

The Statesmen (22-11 in 2017) have made the jump to the NJCAA Division I level after becoming one of the better Division II basketball programs over the past few seasons.