Lions Close December with Loss to Oberlin
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's basketball team returned from a 10-day layoff on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions suffered a 73-54 loss to non-conference opponent Oberlin College in Adler Arena.
Oberlin (6-6) pulled early in the first half and built a nine-point advantage by the intermission. The Yeomen expanded their lead during the second half, going up by as many as 22 points.
Penn State Altoona (4-7) struggled from three-point range, shooting 0-for-17 beyond the arc. The Lions were limited to just 20 points during the second half, while Oberlin was able to grow its lead throughout the latter stages of the game.
Dwayne Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Greater Johnstown) led Penn State Altoona in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals, finishing his afternoon with 16 points, eight boards, three blocks, and two steals. Jahmar White (Yigo, Guam/St. Paul Christian) added eight points, three rebounds, and three assists, and Michael Baskerville (Damascus, MD/Damascus) scored six points and blocked a pair of shots.
Oberlin's Robert Millard tied Jones for the game-high scoring total, posting 16 points for the Yeomen. JJ Gray added 13 points for the visitors.
After Jones' basket at 19:03 provided the first bucket of the game, Oberlin outscored the Lions 15-4 over the next several minutes to work its way out to a 15-6 advantage by the 15:53 mark. Jump shots from Kaden Claar (Portage, PA/Portage) and Jones helped Penn State Altoona get back to within five, 15-10, but the Yeomen boosted their advantage back to nine points, 23-14, on Millard's three-pointer at 10:43.
Penn State Altoona pushed back to trim its deficit to four, outscoring Oberlin 9-4 over the next four minutes. Baskets from Kevin Woodland, Jr. (Great Mills, MD/Great Mills) and Jarrett Gardner (Live Oak, FL/Suwannee) started the run, and another Gardner score at 8:40 cut the Oberlin lead to 25-20. A Gardner free throw and Mason Bush (Pittsburgh, PA/Seneca Valley) layup made the score 27-23 by 6:35.
But Oberlin did not let Penn State Altoona get any closer, increasing its lead to as high as 13 points over the remainder of the first half. By halftime, the Yeomen took a 43-34 advantage into the locker room.
Oberlin started the second half with a 10-0 run, turning its nine-point lead into a 19-point advantage just under two minutes into the period. Layups from White and Baskerville helped the Lions twice get back to within 12 points near the midpoint of the half, and Penn State Altoona trailed Oberlin 56-44 by the 11:19 mark.
But the visitors responded with another run that ultimately put the game out of reach, as Oberlin embarked on another 10-0 run through the 7:10 mark that gave the Yeomen a game-high 22-point advantage, 66-44. Penn State Altoona managed just 20 points in the second half, and the Lions took a 19-point loss in their last game of the month.
With Penn State Altoona's final non-conference game now behind it, the Lions will focus on Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference play for the rest of the season. Men's basketball returns to action at home this upcoming Wednesday, January 3 at 7 p.m. against conference foe Alfred State.
