Nelson Hine dribbling
Gene Walsh
89
Winner PSBM PSBM 1-3, 1-0 NEAC
75
Saint Elizabeth CSEM 1-2, 0-1 NEAC
Winner
PSBM PSBM
1-3, 1-0 NEAC
89
Final
75
Saint Elizabeth CSEM
1-2, 0-1 NEAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
PSBM PSBM 34 55 89
Saint Elizabeth CSEM 27 48 75

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Hot shooting at the line leads MBB to first win of the season

MORRISTOWN, N.J. - Nelson Hine established several career-bests, while Baba Waples and the entire team set school records at the free throw line to lead the Penn State Berks men's basketball team to its first win of the season with an 89-75 triumph over the College of Saint Elizabeth in Tuesday night's North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) South Division contest.

The Nittany Lions (1-3, 1-0 NEAC South) led 34-27 at halftime, but that lead was instantly cut down to four points on St. Elizabeth's first possession of the second period. Berks eventually upped its lead to 17 points with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, by the Eagles (1-2, 0-1 NEAC South) clawed back and trailed by five points with 2:46 left to play. The Nittany Lions converted on 10-of-12 trips to the foul line down the stretch to secure the road victory.

Waples had a contest-high 28 points after breaking his own school record with a 16-for-17 performance at the foul line, surpassing the 13 free throws made against Bryn Athyn College last February. In addition to Waples success at the line, Berks as a team converted a school record 32-for-38, topping the previous high of 26 made in the previous mentioned Bryn Athyn contest. Darren Major (6-6), Eli Adams (4-4), and Monte Stokes (3-4) also played a big part in the team's success at the charity stripe. The 84.2% shooting at the free throw line by the entire team was the seventh best performance in a single-game at Berks.

Hine set personal-highs in points scored (25), field goals made (9), assists (5), and steals (5), while matching his career-best in 3-pointers made (4). The junior guard came on strong in the second half, where he tallied 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor and recorded five of his seven rebounds for the game. Hine is now averaging 10.5 points per game on the season, which ranks third on the team.

Major rounded out the Berks' scorers in double figures with a 15 point effort, 10 of which came in the second half. Stokes, making his first collegiate start, set a career-high in points (9), rebounds (14), and minutes played (30). Matt Thompson chipped in six points and five boards, while Joel Ellison added 10 rebounds three steals. In addition to his 28 points, Waples added four steals, four assists, and four rebounds.

Berks held a 57-46 advantage on rebounds, while the Eagles held a +4 (26-22) margin in turnovers created.

Jason Saldiveri led the Eagles with 26 points, followed by Marlon Hart with 13. Roland Romano chipped in nine points and brought down a team-high 10 boards.

The Nittany Lions will host their home opener on Saturday, December 3 at 3 p.m. when Gallaudet University comes to town for a NEAC South Division contest. Admission to the contest is free of charge with a canned good/non-perishable item/monetary donation at the door.
 
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