Box Score LINCROFT, NJ - The Northampton men's basketball team battled Brookdale, the nation's top-ranked, team for 50 minutes on Tuesday night at Collins Arena, before falling 95-92 in double overtime. 

In a back and forth affair, the two perennial Region 19 powers went shot for shot with each other, with each team making big plays at key times to keep the contest tight.  Northampton's Nate Rivera (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) hit a 3-pointer with 6.7 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime and then a hit a buzzer beater from 30 feet to send the contest to a second overtime. 

The Spartans actually finished the contest with 12 more field goals than Brookdale (35 to 23) and more 3-pointers (10 to 7), but the Jersey Blues held a monumental advantage at the foul, outscoring the Spartans by 30 points at the charity stripe.  Five Spartans fouled out as the Jersey Blues finished 42 of 63 from the foul line, while Northampton was just 12 of 16.

CJ Miles (Bangor, PA/Bangor) led the offense vs. the defending the national champions, scoring 19 points to lead 6 Spartans in double figures.  Arkel Batts (Middletown, PA/Middletown) had 17 points, Naeem Purnell (Darby, PA/Penn Wood), Elijah Hamilton (Atglen, PA/Octorara Jr/Sr) and Keein Ward (Harrisburg, PA/Susquehanna Township) each had 13 and Rivera chipped in with 11.

The loss drops Northampton to 14-7 overall and 8-4 in Region 19.

Brookdale remains undefeated at 19-0 overall and 15-0 in the Region with the victory. 

The Spartans are now off until Saturday February 3rd when they host Division II Mercer County Community College at 2pm.