MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Crane's late 3-pointer lifts Falcons to sixth straight win

GOODWELL, Okla. UTPB’s Louis Crane scored 17 points and nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining Thursday, and the Falcons took sole possession of fourth place in the Heartland Conference with a 66-64 win at Oklahoma Panhandle State.

Crane finished 5-of-6 from the field — all 3-pointers — and his last shot gave UTPB its first and only lead of the second half. Erik Martin added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Falcons, and Mike Akins scored 10 points.

The Falcons (13-12 overall, 6-5 conference), who won their sixth conference game in a row, eclipsed the .500 mark for the first time since improving to 2-1 on Nov. 15. They also leapfrogged Arkansas-Fort Smith and Dallas Baptist, which both lost Thursday, in the conference standings.

The top four teams in the final regular-season standings qualify for the conference’s postseason tournament.