Box Score
MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The Penn State Abington's dynamic duo of
Max Alton and
Avery Barnes each scored 16 points but fell short to Morrisville State, 98-91, on Saturday afternoon. Abington will advance into the postseason play of the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Tournament, which will begin next week at Lancaster Bible College.
Alton and Barnes each scored a game-high 16 points, combining for 15-of-27 shooting from the floor, 16 rebounds, and three assists. Sophomores
Kevin Cooper and
Kyle Garrett also hit double-figures with 11 points each, while junior
Mike Marvin posted 10 points with six rebounds and an assist.
Despite 11 turnovers, the Nittany Lions shot a game-high 44.2 percent (38-86) from the floor, scoring 16 points off of the Mustang's 16 turnovers along with 23 points on second chances.
Morrisville (17-8, 13-5 NEAC) opened the first half with an offensive bang, going on a 20-8 run and put its lead to 11, 30-19, with 11:29 minutes left in the first half. Abington (14-11, 11-7 NEAC) managed to rally back into the game as Alton scored four straight baskets for eight points, cutting the margin down to one point, 40-39 at the 3:31 mark.
Seconds after the Blue and White's run, Morrisville came back with a 12-4 run to extend the lead once again before both teams headed into the locker room with the score displaying 50-43 in favor of the Mustangs.
The seven point deficit quickly became a three point affair as a free throw from Marvin was followed up with a jumper to spark a 9-5 run for the Nittany Lions in the first four minutes of the second half.
The Mustangs quickly came to life and jumped out throughout the stanza, leading by 12 points at the 6:03 mark before Abington attempted its final rally towards the end but Morrisville's defense was too much as Abington fell short, 98-81.
With the 2013-14 regular season wrapped up, the Nittany Lions finished third in the NEAC and will advance into the postseason. The playoffs bracket is yet to be determined at this time with several league games in play today, the final decisions will officially be announced on Sunday from the NEAC.
Stay tuned to Abingtonsports.com for further information regarding the men's basketball conference tournament.
