Box Score Abington, Pa. - The Penn State Abington men's basketball squad won in thrilling fashion earlier this afternoon against SUNY Cobleskill. Sophomore Darien Mitchell hit the game-winning basket with six seconds left, and the Nittany Lions hung on to defeat the Fighting Tigers by a score of 82-80.
 
The game was destined to be a close affair from the get-go. Penn State Abington (3-9, 1-0 NEAC) jumped out to an early lead in the opening minutes, but Cobleskill (2-9, 0-1) came right back. In the next five minutes, the Fighting Tigers were able to pull out to a lead of as much as four points, 19-15. Then it was the Nittany Lions who came roaring back. A three-pointer from sophomore Max Alton at the 7:43 mark gave Penn State Abington their biggest lead of the half at 33-23. SUNY Cobleskill was able to chip away at the lead for the rest of the half, and by the halftime horn, the Nittany Lions lead had shrunk to 42-40.
 
As soon as the second half began, immediate pressure from the Fighting Tigers allowed the visitors to retake the lead. A layup by Alexis Nunez at the 17:21 mark put Cobleskill up by five, and after Abington had crawled back within two, a pair of free throws from Travis Woods made the lead six.
 
Key baskets from several Penn State Abington players kept the Nittany Lions within striking distance in the middle of the half. The Fighting Tigers were never able to break contact and stretch their lead, and with eight minutes left, Abington made their move. A steal from sophomore Mike Marvin led to a layup from fellow sophomore Avery Barnes, tying the game at 65. Then, a jumper from Darien Mitchell gave Penn State Abington a two-point lead.
 
Then it was Cobleskill's turn to go on a run. The Fighting Tigers were able to retake the advantage and stretch their lead to as much as five points yet again. But it was Penn State Abington who made all the high-pressure baskets late. Avery Barnes tied the game at 76 with a dunk that sent the Abington bench to their feet in cheers. Barnes then followed up a missed Cobleskill three-pointer with a wide open layup, giving the Nittany Lions a two-point lead. A free throw from Alexis Nunez got Cobleskill back within one before yet another Barnes layup gave Penn State Abington an 80-77 lead.
 
With just 17 seconds remaining, the fireworks really got started. Cobleskill called a timeout to set up a play, and it was Kareem Bernard who ended up with the three-point attempt. Bernard's shot was good, and the game was knotted back up at 80. Penn State Abington inbounded the ball to Mitchell, who took it all the way down the court himself. With just six seconds left, Mitchell was able to get to the right elbow at the top of the key and take a step-back jumper. The shot was true, and Abington took an 82-80 lead. Without any timeouts remaining, the Fighting Tigers were forced to come all the way down the court without a play on, and a desperation three-pointer from Alexis Nunez went well wide.
 
The thrilling win ended a four game losing streak for the Nittany Lions, but more importantly, puts Penn State Abington in good position in the NEAC. Avery Barnes led the Blue and White with 23 points and 12 rebounds, notching his third double-double of the season. Mike Marvin got another double-double himself, with 17 points and 14 rebounds. SUNY Cobleskill was led by Tyrone Mitchell, who scored 19 points, while Mike Marcelin added another 16. The Nittany Lions have a chance to further their advantage in the conference right away, as the team will face off against Morrisville State tomorrow afternoon at home, with the game taking place at 2 pm.