Box Score Abington, Pa. - The Nittany Lions basketball team struggled to get anything going in their favor earlier this afternoon, and as a result, Penn State Abington fell to the visiting Mustangs of Morrisville State by a score of 108-79. Sophomore Max Alton led the Nittany Lions with 20 points, while fellow sophomore Avery Barnes added a double-double in the losing effort.
 
Penn State Abington (3-10, 1-1 NEAC) actually jumped out to an early lead, off of back-to-back three pointers from sophomore Darien Mitchell and junior Mike Colacci. It would be the only time in the game where the Nittany Lions had any sense of momentum. The Mustangs came back to take the lead for themselves, and although the game remained close midway through the second half, it seemed that every “big play” was coming from the Morrisville State side.
 
With 8:53 remaining in the first half, and the game still close at 23-21, Morrisville State (6-4, 1-1 NEAC) went on a run that ultimately quashed any hopes of the Nittany Lions keeping the game close. Jordan Prior hit two three-pointers for the Mustangs to increase their lead to eight. After a Penn State timeout, Prior hit a jumper and Andrew Lucio nailed a three-ball of his own, forcing yet another Penn State timeout. Up by 13 at this point, it was Brandon Hanks who poured in yet another three-pointer for Morrisville State.
 
Ultimately, it was Morrisville State's ability to drain the outside shot that doomed the Nittany Lions on the afternoon. The Mustangs shot 54 percent from the field in the opening half, a strong number in itself. However, they shot an incredible twelve for sixteen from beyond the arc in the first half. When all was said and done, Abington went into the locker room facing a halftime deficit of 53-32, and it would only get worse from there.
 
While Morrisville would not shoot nearly as well as they did in the first half, the Mustangs were able to extend their lead by as much as 42 points in the second half. A 22-5 run to open the period put the Mustangs ahead 75-37. By the midway point of the frame, the score was 89-49 in favor of the visitors. When the final whistle blew, Penn State Abington had closed the final score to 108-79.
 
Alton led the way for Penn State with 20 points, while Avery Barnes got his second straight double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Mike Marvin had his own double-double streak snapped at seven, but still had 11 points and 9 rebounds. Morrisville State was led by Jailaan Kinsey with 16 points and Andrew Lucio with 15.
 
Abington will not return home for a game until two Saturdays from now, January 19^th. However, the Nittany Lions will get a chance to get back in the win column soon enough, with their next game coming on the road at Cazenovia College next Saturday.