LHU Men’s Basketball furious comeback bid falls short at Mansfield

MANSFIELD – The Lock Haven men’s basketball team scored 47 points in the second half to nearly erase a 14-point first-half deficit on the road, but Mansfield held on to escape with an 81-77 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) victory on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 18).

With the result, The Haven moves to 7-9 overall and 4-6 in the PSAC. Mansfield improves to 6-12 on the season and 3-8 in the PSAC.

After trailing 44-30 after one half of play, the Bald Eagles came out of the break on fire and shot a scorching 70 percent (21-of-30) from the floor in the second half to storm back into the game.

The Bald Eagles, who trailed by as much as 17 in the second half, cut the deficit to two following an Isaiah Stewart transition jumper, making it 79-77 with 51 seconds to go.

However, the Mounties went 2-of-2 at the free-throw line on their next position and a Lock Haven 3-pointer at the buzzer was no go to seal the victory for Mansfield.

Stewart led the way for The Haven and finished with 21 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Bryson Scott secured his season-high in points and his first double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Idris Ali had a strong game off the bench and totaled 12 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Kevin Coleman led the Bald Eagles’ defensive effort with a game-high four blocks, five rebounds and a steal.

Next up for The Haven:

The Bald Eagles return home on Wednesday (Jan. 22) and will host Shippensburg at 7:30 p.m. for a PSAC East battle inside Thomas Fieldhouse.