Men's basketball huddle during warmups
Gene Walsh
73
Winner Alvernia ALVMB 13-6
66
Penn State Berks PSBM1112 4-12
Winner
Alvernia ALVMB
13-6
73
Final
66
Penn State Berks PSBM1112
4-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Alvernia ALVMB 42 31 73
Penn State Berks PSBM1112 32 34 66

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's basketball put scare in Crusaders



READING, PA (January 30, 2012) - After a furious comeback in the final minutes, the Penn State Berks men's basketball team came up just short in upsetting local foe Alvernia University, falling 73-66 on Monday evening at Beaver Community Center.

Tore Turner's mid-range jumper finished off a 12-2 run that pulled the Nittany Lions (4-12) within three points with 40 seconds to play. But the Crusaders (13-6) capitalized at the foul line down the stretch, converting on 4-of-6 attempts.

Alvernia led by double-digits through most of the first half, but Dontez Reid gave the Nittany Lions some momentum to build on leading into the intermission. Patrick Rennalls grabbed a defense rebound and passed it off to Reid, who took a few dribbles and heaved a pass from beyond midcourt that banked off the glass, right through the hoop to make the score 42-32. It was the second time in three weeks Reid beat the clock, earning him the nickname "Skeeter the Buzzerbeater".

The Crusaders again held a double-digit lead during the majority of the second half, but the resilient Nittany Lions refused to quit. Trailing by 13 with just over three minutes to play, the blue-and-white rallied behind 4-of-5 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 at the foul line. In that time, the defense forced two missed shots and the Crusaders converted just 2-of-4 at the line.

The Nittany Lions used a balanced attack with nine different players scoring. Shawn Green led the squad with 13 points, followed by Jeff Schmidt and Reid with 10 points each. Connor Hough, Tom Smith and Turner each scored eight.

The defense registered six blocks, half of which came from Schmidt. Despite being outsized by the Crusaders, the Nittany Lions won the battle of the boards by a 37-35 margin.

Although the loss was disappointing, the Nittany Lions strong effort gives them confidence to build on as they push for the final spot of the NEAC postseason. They currently are half a game back of Keuka College for the fifth and final spot.

The Nittany Lions will host Rutgers-Camden in their last non-conference contest of the season on Monday, January 30 at 7 p.m. At halftime of that game, the Penn State Berks athletics department will honor scholar-athletes and the fall  athletic achievements.

Print Friendly Version