MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - In a game that came down to the wire, a pair of Bryn Athyn steals and scores in the final minute proved the difference in a narrow 65-63 conference setback for Penn State Harrisburg's men's basketball team at the Capital Union Building on Thursday night, Feb. 13.


The defensive struggle saw Isaiah Eggleston lead the way with a game-high 21 points, while Chris Henderson was the only other Penn State Harrisburg player to reach double figures with 15 points. Lance Douglas added eight, Jordan Spencer grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and Larry Onabanwo dished out a game-best seven assists.


With Penn State Harrisburg (16-8, 12-3 United East) leading by seven following a Spencer free throw with 3:39 left to play, Bryn Athyn (16-8, 14-1 United East) put together a 9-0 run in the blink of an eye and pulled ahead 60-59 with 2:11 remaining. Eggleston put the hometown Lions back in front with a driving layup off a feed from Onabanwo at the 2:02 mark but the visitors went back up 62-61 following a pair of free throws with 92 seconds left.


Bryn Athyn eventually went back to the charity stripe but came away empty with 57 seconds remaining but spoiled the ensuing Penn State Harrisburg possession by coming away with a steal and score with 42 seconds left. A missed free throw left the door open for the home team but again the visitors came away with a timely turnover. Douglas kept the game alive by rejecting a fastbreak layup with 11 seconds remaining.


A potential game-tying 3-ball by Dylan Moore with four seconds left was negated by a Bryn Athyn foul on Onabanwo but the latter cut the deficit to one by converting a pair of foul shots. The visitors went 1-for-2 from the foul line with three seconds left but with no timeouts remaining, Penn State Harrisburg had to force a heave at the buzzer that fell short, allowing Bryn Athyn to escape with the narrow win.


The home team held a 26-19 advantage at halftime and opened the second half on a 16-9 run that was capped with an Eggleston triple made it 42-28 with 15:25 left. The visitors quickly answered with a 13-1 run that drew Bryn Athyn to within two points at the 12:09 mark, setting up a back-and-forth battle down the stretch.


NOTABLES
- Foul shooting hurt in the second half, with the Lions going just 5-for-13 from the stripe after the break.
- Bryn Athyn shot a blistering 77.8 percent from beyond the arc and 65 percent from the field in the second half.
- Penn State Harrisburg comfortably won the rebounding battle 44-26.
- Eggleston finished with a game-high 21 points and five rebounds.
- Henderson tallied 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
- Douglas racked up eight points, seven rebounds and three assists.
- Spencer grabbed a game-high nine rebounds to go along with three points.
- Moore added eight rebounds and three points off the bench.


WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions close out the regular season when they host conference foe St. Elizabeth 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.