Lynchburg, Va. -- Joshua Stephen's buzzer-beating jumper spoiled University of Lynchburg's men's basketball team's Alumni Day Saturday evening, giving visiting Shenandoah an 87-86 victory in a pivotal Old Dominion Athletic Conference contest.

Out of a timeout with 5 seconds remaining, Lynchburg defended the visiting Hornets' play well, but Stephen stepped back off the dribble and tossed up an off-balance shot that found nothing but net.

The game-winning shot came shortly after Lynchburg freshman Piercen Young put the home team ahead with a pair of free throws on the other end. Young finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his second-career double-double. He was one of five Hornets in double-figure scoring, joining Alex Fitch's 19 points, Cuddah Savage's 17, Miles Taylor's 11, and Trey Pittman's 10. Taylor also had five rebounds and six assists, and Fitch grabbed eight boards and kept his hot shooting stretch alive with a 4-for-7 effort from 3-point territory.

The teams started out trading blows, but Lynchburg opened up a double-digit lead midway through the first half as back-to-back Fitch 3s put the Hornets up 24-13 and forced a Shenandoah timeout. SU cut the lead down to one in the half's waning minutes, but another Fitch 3-pointer and Taylor's last-minute layup gave Lynchburg a 49-41 advantage at halftime.

Shenandoah hung around in the second half's early going and finally tied the game at 60-60 with 12:47 to play. The teams continued to knock down shots – SU shot 58 percent from the field in the second half, and Lynchburg shot it at a 48-percent clip – and a Davion Roberts 3 put the visiting team in the lead, 85-84, with 1:22 remaining.

Both defenses made stops in the ensuing possessions until Young drew a foul in the act of shooting a 3-pointer with 8 seconds on the clock. He made two of the three to put Lynchburg ahead, but shortly after, Stephen's heroics won the day for SU.

Lynchburg fell to 5-15 overall and 2-9 in ODAC play with the loss. The Hornets will hit the road in the midweek, traveling to Roanoke for a 7:30 p.m. tip. The game will be played in RC's Bast Center (310 N. Market Street Salem, VA 24153) due to floor issues with the Cregger Center gymnasium.

Visit Lynchburg athletics' home online, LynchburgSports.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news on all Hornets sports and coverage from the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network. Click here to sign up for email and text alerts from Lynchburg athletics.

Give Lynchburg Sports a like on Facebook, and follow Lynchburg athletics on Instagram and Twitter.

--LYN--