Reading, Pa. - The Penn St. Berks Men's Basketball Team clinched a berth in the United East Championship Tournament by defeating Saint Elizabeth University by a score of 96-73 on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Berks (7-15 Overall, 6-9 UE) could not find their offensive rhythm in the opening four minutes, as the Eagles (10-14 Overall, 8-7 UE) took an early 5-0 lead. Josh Mingledolph started the scoring, finishing a layup in transition. Andre Ballard tipped in an offensive rebound and then Mingledolph swished back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Lions ahead 10-9. Later in the half, Kai Davis connected on a 3-pointer from the corner, pushing Berks' advantage to six. The teams traded baskets with Ballard storming to the basket for a layup to make the score 26-18 with 7:48 remaining in the first half. Mingledolph seemly could not miss during the final seven minutes, knocking down a flurry of jump shots to keep the Lions ahead. Luke Collins and Ballard splashed back-to-back 3-pointers pushing the Blue & White's lead to 14 points. Berks led 46-33 at the break.

Saint Elizabeth opened the second half on a 7-2 run to close with eight points when Marquis Ferreira found Ballard in the corner for a wide open 3-pointer. Mingledolph continued to score at will, converting back-to-back layups and Davis added a layup in transition as the lead grew back 15 points. Jaedon Mast drained an off balance shot from the wing with 11:06 remaining to make the score 68-49. Berks remained in control with 3-pointers by Collins and Ferreira pushing the lead to 20 with over five minutes remaining in the game. The Lions did not let up over the final few minutes, powering to a 96-73 victory.

Mingledolph had a career night, scoring a career-high 30 points on 12-19 shooting from the field to go along with 11 rebounds and four steals. Davis also had a great showing, racking up a career-high 19 points on 7-10 shooting. Ballard continued to be a consistent force for the offense, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds. Collins added 13 points off the bench, hitting three times from beyond the arc. Mast filled the stat sheet, scoring 10 points to along with a team-high five assists and five steals. As a team Berks connected 11 times from beyond the arc, shooting 36.7% from 3-point range. The Lions also capitalized on Eagles' mistakes, resulting in 26 points off turnovers.

WHO'S NEXT
The Lions will conclude the regular season with a trip to Rosemon College to take on the Ravens on Saturday, Feb. 15. The opening tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 PM.

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