By Jon Minners
With 11.5 seconds left in a January 8 game at Monroe, Lehman picked up a 68-66 lead off of two successful Mohammed Ali free throws, but the Eagles were not about to let the game slip away.
Monroe brought the ball up, confident they could at least put up a quick score for a tie, even a win, when Dennis Hawkins took a pass and as he had done all game long, shot what looked like a three-pointer, draining it through the net, as time expired.
Fans turned to the ref who put his arms up, signaling a successful three-pointer. The crowd stormed the James Monroe Campus gym in celebration, as players hugged and coach Nigel Thompson smiled over what looked like the spark the team needed to improve their record and make a push for the playoffs.
But another ref, one who was closer to the action, waved off the three-pointer, proclaiming that Hawkins had his foot on the line. Hawkins was rewarded with only two-points and Monroe would have to go into an overtime period, deflated and embarrassed by the premature celebration.
Still, Monroe soldiered on. Stanley Brooks picked up a steal and picked up a lay up with only seconds remaining to give the Eagles a 75-74 lead. But that was not good enough, as Armand
