MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - A total team effort was the catalyst for a dominant 93-52 victory for Penn State Harrisburg men's basketball over United East foe Penn State Abington at the Capital Union Building on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 7.
All 14 healthy Penn State Harrisburg players scored during Saturday's win, led by Isaiah Eggleston's game-high 15 points. Lance Douglas impressed as well, finishing with an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double. Christian Clark-Stokes was the third player to reach double figures with 12 points off the bench.
Penn State Harrisburg (4-5, 2-1 United East) jumped out to an early 6-1 advantage following a jumper by Jordan Spencer and never looked back. The hometown Lions took their first double-digit lead when a Dylan Moore free throw made it 19-9 at the 13:42 mark before closing out the final five minutes of first half with a 13-3 run that made it 44-25 at the break.
Penn State Abington (0-10, 0-2 United East) had no answers in the second half, as the home team used a quick 14-4 spurt that began with an Eggleston layup and ended with a Moore 3-ball to pull ahead by 29 with 13:36 left to play.
An Irby Hunter layup at the 11:31 mark stretched the lead to 30 for the first time and by the final minutes, the reserves were making their mark as well, with Kevin Lucas Jr. shining in his first action of the season, while Justin Leddo, Nate Townsend, and Russel Nie connecting on buckets that pushed the advantage past 40 in the closing minutes. Kyle Rhoden put an exclamation point on the decisive victory with a one-handed jam off a Townsend feed with 1:08 left to play.
NOTABLES
- The Lions dominated on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 59-17.
- In a game where every healthy player scored, the Penn State Harrisburg bench outscored the Penn State Abington reserves 49-26.
- The hometown Lions racked up 48 points in the paint and 36 second chance points.
- The Penn State Harrisburg defense held Abington to just 30 percent shooting from the field.
- Douglas had a monster game, finishing with 11 points and game highs of 14 rebounds and five assists.
- Eggleston also flirted with a double-double, finishing with a game-high 15 points and eight boards.
- Clark-Stokes added a dozen points off the bench.
- Chris Henderson had nine points, while Irby Hunter tallied eight points off the bench.
- Mason Pulliam chipped in with four points and five rebounds in a reserve role.
- Lucas impressed in his collegiate debut, racking up six points and four rebounds in nine minutes off the bench.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions host Bridgewater (Va.) for a non-conference tilt on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 14.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.
