Neumann’s Strong Second Half Sinks Lions
EWING TWP., N.J. – Neumann University's second half shooting performance propelled the Knights past the Penn State Altoona men's basketball team on Friday evening, as the Lions suffered an 85-74 loss in the opening night of The College of New Jersey Tipoff Tournament in Packer Hall.
Penn State Altoona (0-3) built a 35-30 halftime lead, but the Lions saw Neumann (2-2) shoot 64.5 percent from the field during a second half in which the Knights outscored Penn State Altoona 55-39. The Lions will face Pratt Institute in the tournament consolation tomorrow, Saturday, November 19 at 3:00 p.m., while Neumann moves on to the championship game at 5:00 p.m. against host TCNJ.
"Another tough outcome for us against another very quality opponent that played in the NCAA tourney last season," said Penn State Altoona head coach David McGreal. "Our problem continues to be the second half. A lot has to do with our lack of depth and some guys still just not being in basketball shape."
Saivon Word (Upper Marlboro, MD/Frederick Douglass) finished with a team-high 18 points and five assists for Penn State Altoona, with Andruw Harman (Chesapeake, VA/Great Bridge), Robbie Hicks (Rockledge, FL/Rockledge), and Alex McClellan (York, PA/West York) adding 10 points apiece. Harman also grabbed five rebounds and distributed three assists, Hicks totaled five assists and three boards, and McClellan posted three steals.
Off the bench, Dwayne Jones (Philadelphia, PA/Greater Johnstown) contributed eight points and four rebounds, and Mason Bush (Pittsburgh, PA/Seneca Valley) had seven points and five rebounds.
Neumann's TJ Lewis and Kyle Thompson tied for the game-high in points with 19 apiece. Jalen Vaughns scored 17 for the Knights, and Ja'bri White added 16 points.
Neumann worked its way out to an early lead over Penn State Altoona in the first half. Lewis' jumper at 16:48 put the Knights up 9-4, and a Thompson three-pointer at 13:28 kept the difference at five, 17-12. Neumann added a free throw from Vaughns at the 12:18 mark to make it 18-12, representing its largest lead of the period.
Penn State Altoona fought back, going on a 7-0 run over the next several minutes to jump in front. Bush's layup and foul shot at 10:53 made it a one-score game, and Justin Sheetz (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) hit from three-point range in the Lions' next possession to tie the game 18-18. Bush's free throw at 9:40 gave Penn State Altoona a 19-18 advantage.
After Neumann briefly reclaimed the lead, Penn State Altoona went back on top, 25-24, following a McClellan layup at 5:25, and his three-pointer 22 seconds after that made it 28-24. The Knights tied the score at 30 following two foul shots from Thompson at the 1:08 mark, but the Lions ended the half with five unanswered points from a Bush three-pointer and a Harman jump shot to take a 35-30 lead into the intermission.
Hicks opened the second half scoring with a jumper at 19:21 that gave the Lions a seven-point lead. Three-pointers from Hicks and Jones on consecutive possessions put Penn State Altoona's lead at six, 43-37, by the 16:07 mark. Jarrett Gardner's (Live Oak, FL/Suwannee) layup at 15:22 kept the difference at six points, 45-39.
But Neumann embarked on a 10-0 run, culminating in a Lewis three-pointer at 13:38 that put the Knights ahead 49-45. After a McClellan trey tied the game 51-51, three-pointers from Thompson and Lewis helped Neumann to a 59-53 advantage by the halfway point of the period.
The Knights slowly expanded their lead throughout the rest of the half, going up by as many as 13 points in the closing minutes.
"I thought it was a little strange that we didn't get to the bonus the entire second half, but there's not much we can do about that. Our shooters aren't shooting the way we need them to, and against good competition, it's showing," said McGreal. "For some reason, as well, we're not scoring in transition like we have in the past."
Now, Penn State Altoona will turn its focus to Pratt, as the Lions will look to finish the TCNJ Tournament on a high note by recording their first win of the season before returning home to face non-conference foe Juniata College on Tuesday night.
"Hopefully, tomorrow we can get back on track and come home with a win," McGreal said.
