Waples and Major in action
82
Penn State Berks PSBM 0-3
84
Winner Stevenson STE 1-3
Penn State Berks PSBM
0-3
82
Final
84
Stevenson STE
1-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Penn State Berks PSBM 39 43 82
Stevenson STE 36 48 84

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Major, Nittany Lions rally comes up short at Stevenson

OWINGS MILLS, MD - Darren Major knocked down two late 3-pointers on his way to a career-best 38 points and the Penn State Berks men's basketball team fought back from a double-digit deficit over the final 45 seconds of regulation, but the rally came up just short as host Stevenson University held on for an 84-82 in Saturday afternoon's non-conference contest.

The Nittany Lions led by a score of 39-36 at halftime, before the Mustangs went ahead early in the second half. Berks retook the lead at 63-61 with 6:19 remaining and held its last lead (64-63) with 4:33 to play. From that point, Stevenson used an 8-0 run to gain control down the stretch.

In the final minute of play, the Mustang defense backed off and allowed Major to cruise to a wide open layup to cut the deficit to nine points with 38 seconds left. Berks immediately fouled on the ensuing inbound pass and the Stevenson player went on to make just 1-of-2 at the line. Major then connected from well beyond the 3-point arc and Mustangs followed with on the baseline under the basket. Nelson Hine took a pass in the paint from Baba Waples and banked off the glass to make it an 80-75 game with 24 seconds left. Again Berks fouled and again received some help with Stevenson converting on just 1-of-2 attempts at the line. Major hit a wide open 3-pointer from the corner with just nine seconds left, making it a 81-78 Stevenson advantage.

The teams exchanged 1-of-2 efforts at the foul line to keep the score at three points in the Mustangs favor. With five seconds left on the clock, Stevenson guard Michael Byrd made both of his free throws to finally give the Mustangs some comfort. Hine banked home a 3 from two steps in front of midcourt as time expired to pull within 84-82 as the final horn sounded.

Major shot 12-of-24 from the floor and matched a career-best for 3's made with five on 12 chances, while going 9-for-13 at the foul line. The senior guard surpassed his previous-best of 35 points scored against Gallaudet University on February 4, 2014. The 38 point effort is the second most in a single-game in program history, trailing Joe Askew's 41 points against Villa Julie College (who is now Stevenson University) on January 16, 2007. Major recorded 23 of his points in the first half and held relatively quiet over most of the second half, before going off in the final minute of play. In three games this season, Major now has 62 total points for a team-high 20.7 points per game average.

Waples, who played all 40 minutes of the game, followed with 13 points to go along with four assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Waples is averaging 15.0 points per game after recording 45 points through the first three games of the season.

Matt Thompson recorded eight points and seven boards, while Hine, Monte Stokes, and Charles Smith each chipped in seven points. Stokes also added seven rebounds and three blocked shots, while Hine and Eric Stepnowski both notched two blocked shots.

Cliff Cornish led the Mustangs with 25 points and 14 boards, while Tim McNeal also added a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The Nittany Lions will open up NEAC play with a contest at the College of Saint Elizabeth on Tuesday, November 29 at 8 p.m.
 
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