Fulton senior guard Kalin Mitchell connected on four free throws in the final 6 seconds Tuesday night, helping the Hornets clip Marshall in a 73-69 NCMC win at Roger D. Davis Gymnasium.
Fulton trailed 51-47 entering the fourth quarter, but owned a 69-66 advantage when the Owls' Jaylen Varner knocked down a game-tying 3-pointer with 10 seconds to play. Mitchell was fouled on the Hornets' following possession and made both free throws to put the Hornets back in front 71-69 with :06 to play.
Marshall missed a shot on its next trip down the court and was forced to foul Mitchell with :01 remaining. He hit two free throws again to seal Fulton's victory.
The Hornets - who swept the season series with the Owls - improved to 13-7 on the season and 5-3 in the North Central Missouri Conference.
"It kind of seemed like we came to life (in the fourth quarter,)" Fulton head coach Justin Gilmore said Wednesday night. "We guarded a little better, forced some turnovers, got the game going up and down (the floor) and hit some shots."
Mitchell tallied 20 points, going 3-of-4 from 3-point range, to pace three players in double figures for the Hornets. Senior guard Radarion Glover added 16 points and junior guard Justin Adams had 13.
Varner topped Marshall with a game-high 24 points and Zach Maupin supplied 23.
Fulton now gets a third crack at Southern Boone - ranked No. 5 in Class 3 by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association - when it hosts the Eagles at 8:20 p.m. Friday. The Hornets bowed to the Eagles 79-71 on Jan. 11 at the California Tournament, then lost to them 53-46 on Feb. 4 in the semifinals of the Southern Boone Classic.
"We have to get some stops and force them to make shots from the outside," Gilmore said. "Then we've got to make shots on the other end. We have to figure out a way to put the ball in the basket."