READING, PA (February 16, 2011) - The Penn State Berks men's basketball team fought hard for all 40 minutes, but came up short in an 86-80 loss to Penn State Harrisburg in a North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) contest on Wednesday evening at Beaver Community Center.
The loss dashes Berks (8-16, 8-10 NEAC) hopes of reaching the NEAC playoffs, while Penn State Harrisburg (12-10, 12-4 NEAC) moves into a tie with Wells College for first place in the conference.
Five players finished in double figures for Berks. Tom Smith and Dontale King led the team with 15 points each. Nate Weldon and Connor Hough each chipped in 13 points and Shawn Green added 10.
Weldon, who has raised his play of late, brought down 17 rebounds to help Berks dominate to a 66-43 advantage on the glass. Weldon also brought the crowd to its feet in the first half with a vicious block that ricocheted off the backboard and led to layup by Smith.
Berks trailed by three at halftime and led by two points with 8:03 left in regulation. Harrisburg answered with a 3-pointer from Nick Liddell and would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way.
Liddell led all scorers with 22 points followed by Kenton Alston and Jordan Gatchell with 16. Alston was excelled on the defensive end with a game best seven blocks. As a team, Harrisburg only committed nine turnovers.
The Lions will finish off the 2010-11 season with a non-conference tilt at Lancaster Bible on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
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