Box Score Reading, Pa. – The Penn State Abington men's basketball squad went on the road to their rivals Penn State Berks earlier Tuesday evening looking to snap a two-game losing streak, and they managed to do  just that, in thrilling fashion to boot. The Nittany Lions went on a 12-2 run in the final five minutes of play and managed to hold Berks scoreless over the final minute to secure a 95-94 victory. Penn State Abington got contributions from the entire team in their win, as every player who made the trip scored at least one point and also added either an assist or a rebound. Junior guard Max Alton led the way for the Blue and White with 18 points and 8 assists, including 3-for-4 shooting from deep. The Nittany Lions also got double-digits from Nisiar Smith, Devin Jones, Mike Marvin, and Avery Barnes, with Marvin and Barnes each coming up with double-doubles in points and rebounds. For the hosts, sophomore guard Darren Major led all scorers with a game-high 30 points. The Nittany Lions also got a solid game out of their big, Tom Smith, who poured in 24 more points on the night.
 
Penn State Abington (12-9, 9-5 NEAC) got things going right off the opening tip, as the Blue and White took possession and found Max Alton alone for a three, which he promptly drained. However, over the next few minutes, it was Berks (5-15, 5-9 NEAC) who took over the lead. An 8-0 run, capped off by a pair of makes from Major, gave the hosts a 10-5 lead inside of four minutes into the game. Berks would maintain this five-point advantage for much of the first ten minutes of the game until Abington put together a run of their own to get back into the mix. Barnes started things off by hitting a free throw, and when he missed the second, Devin Jones was there for the rebound and a sweet assist to Alex Agyedu for an easy layup. Jones was repaid for his generosity on the next Abington possession, when he found himself wide open for a three-ball on the wing, which he promptly sank. Mike Marvin capped off the 10-0 run with a pair of layups over the next 30 seconds to turn a five point deficit into a 24-19 advantage. The Nittany Lions were able to extend that lead as high as six over the rest of the half, and although Berks came back at several points in the half, Abington closed out the high-scoring period on another run to take a 53-50 lead to halftime.
 
Berks came out of the half and promptly re-tied the game, and then took the lead for themselves. Over the next seventeen minutes, both teams traded blows in the form of mini-runs, taking small leads of three or four points before the other side would close and retake the advantage for themselves. When Avery Barnes hit a layup with 3:42 left to play in the game, it knotted the game at 86-86, the thirteenth time the game was tied. After a Berks turnover on their next possession, Abington came back down the floor and got the ball to Alton outside the arc for a three, which he managed to top only by hitting another three the next time down the court after a Berks basket. Avery Barnes hit a free throw on the next possession, making it a five point lead for Penn State Abington. The hosts tried to come back, and inched closer with a three-ball of their own with 1:51 to play from Dameon Nixon. Alton hit a pair of free throws with 1:15 left to play to put Abington back in front by a 95-91 score. However, just six seconds later, Christian Burggraf hit another three for Berks, cutting their deficit to just one and making for a wild final minute. Over that last sixty seconds, the hosts had three separate shots at taking the go-ahead basket, including a desperate jumper at the buzzer from Nixon. However, the ball went halfway down and rimmed back out, sealing Berks' fate and giving Abington a crucial one-point win.
 
With that victory, the Nittany Lions move to 12-9 overall on the season and 9-5 in the North Eastern Athletic conference. This gives Abington a two-game cushion over their next closest competitor in the NEAC, Wells College, who currently hold a 7-7 record in the fifth place in the conference standings. The Nittany Lions sit in a tie for third in the win column with SUNYIT, who still have a game to play tomorrow evening against Morrisville State. Penn State Abington, meanwhile, will look to continue their winning ways when they hit the hardcourt again this Saturday against Gallaudet. The Bison are 5-9 in the NEAC and will be looking to avenge a 73-69 loss that the Nittany Lions gave them in Abington back in December. Gametime is set for 1:00 p.m. in Washington, D.C..