LHU Men Down Marauders; Host Playoff Game
LOCK HAVEN – The Lock Haven University men’s basketball team (16-9, 9-6 PSAC East) went on the road Saturday and defeated host Millersville University (12-12, 8-7 PSAC East) 85-72 and the Bald Eagles clinched the No. 4 spot in the PSAC Eastern Division standings.
With the win and No. 4 seed locked up, the Bald Eagles have earned the right to host a PSAC First Round playoff game next Saturday, March 1. Lock Haven will host this same Millersville team – time of the game is TBA.
It will mark Lock Haven’s first home playoff game since 1990. Lock Haven’s “Big Three” have carried the load all year and that trend continued today as Wali Hepburn (Philadelphia/Neumann-Goretti),Kasheef Festus (Philadelphia/Archbishop Carroll) and Bootsie Walker (Chester, Pa./Chester) starred for The Haven.
Hepburn the PSAC’s leading scorer (22 pts./game) led the way with a game-high 21 points. He was 6-for-11 from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw stripe.
Hepburn’s solid night at the line sparked a 23-for-29 (80 percent) Bald Eagle output at the charity stripe. Hepburn also had four rebounds and three assists.
Festus finished with 13 points and five rebounds and Walker knocked down 12 points to go along with five boards.
Theo West (Philadelphia/Kensington) chipped in with 10 points and he pulled down five rebounds.
Al Blount (Northampton, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) and Elijah Cooper (Manchester, Pa.Northeastern) each added eight points. Cooper hit a pair of three’s. Millersville was led by three players in double-figures including Brandon Brown, who had 18 points. The Bald Eagles 16 wins are the most in a single-season since Lock Haven went 26-7 in 1989-90.
The playoff appearance will be the first for LHU since the 2002-03 season. The Bald Eagles close out the 2013-14 regular season on Wednesday at home on Senior Day vs. Cheyney (8 p.m.).
