Lions drop both ends of weekend series against PSUAC West

Hazleton, Pa. - The Nittany Lions slipped up over the weekend during the team's annual weekend road trip against the PSUAC West. Hazleton nearly came away with a pair of wins but a defeat in overtime at Penn State Fayette on Friday night led to a two point loss at Penn State Beaver on Saturday afternoon, dropping the Lions to a 1-5 record in conference play as they head into the winter break. 

Friday, December 13: Penn State Hazleton 87, Penn State Fayette 95, Final - OT

Hazleton stormed back from a nine point halftime deficit to tie and move ahead of the Fayette squad midway through the second half. Hazleton got 20 points from third year Andre Campbell in the second half to go along with 11 from third year Shamell Ponds as the Hazleton duo battled back and forth with Fayette during the final ten minutes of action. Hazleton led by as many as three points with less than seven minutes to play in the game, but a 7-0 run by the home team left the Lions playing catch up down the stretch. Hazleton trailed 73-68 with just over one minute to play but a triple from Campbell and a pair of makes from the charity stripe by Ponds got Hazleton back to within striking distance. Hazleton put the Fayatte squad at the line multiple times late in the game and with 10 seconds remaining, Hazleton found themselves with down three with possession. A up-and-under move by Ponds with no time remaining found the bottom of the net, sending the game to overtime with the score knotted at 76, giving Hazleton one last chance to escape with a road victory. 

Throughout the course of the game, Hazleton had shot a modest 8-for-13 from the free throw line while Fayette feasted from the line at a 22-for-26 clip. Unfortunately for the Lions, that trend continued into the overtime period. Hazleton had chances at the line to keep the game close in the final few minutes of extra time, but a 2-for-10 effort at the line by Hazleton kept them from keeping the game close as Fayette pulled away to a 10 point advantage in the final seconds of the game, ultimately holding on for a 95-87 win over the Lions. 

Campbell and Ponds posted great numbers on Friday to lead the Hazleton offense with Campbell going for 26 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals while Ponds notched 25 with five rebounds and a 3-for-6 effort from beyond the arc. Fourth year Dante Harward battled his way to a double-double in the loss with 14 points and 13 rebounds while fourth year Connor Rushing provided a much needed spark on the bench with 11 points and a pair of blocks. Hazleton won the turnover battle, forcing 22 Fayette miscues that led to 28 Hazleton points but the lopsided numbers at the free throw line spelled defeat for Hazleton on Friday. 

Saturday, December 14: Penn State Hazleton 72, Penn State Beaver 74 - Final

Similar to game one of the weekend, Hazleton struggled in the first half, spotting the Beaver squad a healthy lead in the first period. Beaver forced Hazleton into an uncharacteristic 11 turnovers in the period, leading to extra possessions and quality looks at the opposing end. Hazleton kept it close for most of the half, but Beaver finished the period on a 14-4 run, giving the home team a 15 point lead at the break. Hazleton trailed by double-figures for most of the early stages of the second half, but with 11 minutes to go, an 8-0 run by the Lions got them back in the game. Haward connected on a second chance opportunity and following misses at the opposite end by Beaver, fourth year Joey Lombardo and Connor Rushing sank shots from beyond the arc to shrink the Beaver lead to just three points. Both squads battled to the finish line but with less than three minutes to play, Beaver struck for a seven point run off two Hazleton turnovers that turned the tide in the home team's favor. The Lions scrapped their way back into contention after a Rushing triple trimmed the lead to just two points with 10 seconds to play, however with little time left on the clock, a last ditch effort by the Lions sailed out of play, ending their chances for a split on the weekend. 

Despite the loss, Hazleton got good production up and down the line up with five players scoring in double figures on Saturday. Harward and Campbell led the squad with 19 points each with Harward adding seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals in the game. Shamell Ponds totaled 11 points, five assists and three steals respectively while Hazleton also got quality minutes from Joey Lombardo and Connor Rushing in reserve. Rushing totaled 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting including three triples while Lombardo added 10 points, going 4-for-6 from the field. 

Hazleton will look to right the ship following the winter break and will start off the semester with five straight home games as they look to get back in the playoff hunt. Hazleton will lead off in the new year with a home match up against Penn State York on Tuesday, January 14 at 8:00 p.m.