MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg's men's basketball team rode a lopsided first half to a 68-59 conference victory over United East foe Wilson at the Capital Union Building on Wednesday night, Jan. 8.


Isaiah Eggleston led the way with a game-high 21 points and Larry Onabanwo was the second Penn State Harrisburg player to reach double figures with 11 points. Lance Douglas grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out five assists, while Jordan Spencer flirted with a double-double with seven points and nine boards. Mason Pulliam added nine points off the bench.


The Lions (8-6, 5-1 United East) jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead thanks to back-to-back layups from Spencer and Eggleston to begin the game before eventually building a comfortable 14-point advantage thanks to a 15-5 run capped by a Douglas 3-ball and another Eggleston layup with 9:03 left in the opening half.


Wilson (5-9, 3-2 United East) used back-to-back triples to cut the deficit to eight at the 8:08 mark but Penn State Harrisburg responded with seven straight points over the ensuing three minutes that included an old-fashioned 3-point play from Onabanwo and a driving layup by Douglas. The Phoenix managed just five points in the final five minutes of the half while a jumper by Pulliam and layup from Spencer off assists from Kevin Lucas Jr. stretched the lead to 33-16 at the break.


Eggleston's layup to begin the second half gave Penn State Harrisburg its largest lead of the night at 19 points and the Lions held Wilson at arm's length the rest of the way. From there, the Phoenix put together a 16-7 run that cut the deficit to 10 with 13:04 left to play but Penn State Harrisburg answered right back with nine of the next 10 points, capped off by Chris Henderson's 3-point play at the 10:28 mark.


Wilson pulled to within nine points four separate times in the final six minutes but the Lions had the answer each time and converted five free throws in the last 36 seconds to put the finishing touches on their fifth conference win of the season.


NOTABLES
- Penn State Harrisburg scored 42 points in the paint.
- Wilson shot 29 3-pointers, scoring 36 of the team's 59 points beyond the arc.
- The Lions dominated the glass, outrebounding Wilson 47-27.
- Penn State Harrisburg racked up 21 second chance points.
- Eggleston netted a game-high 21 points on 52.9 percent shooting from the floor.
- Onabanwo had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
- Pulliam added nine points and three assists off the bench.
- Douglas finished with seven points and a team-high 11 rebounds and five assists.
- Spencer chipped in with seven points, nine boards and three assists.


WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions continue conference play when they host United East rival Lancaster Bible at the Capital Union Building on Saturday afternoon.


STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.