Offensive outburst carries Bald Eagles past Bloomsburg
BLOOMSBURG, PA. – Behind a first half for the ages and a record-breaking scoring output, the Lock Haven University men’s basketball team (14-6, 10-5 PSAC) soared past Bloomsburg University (1-18, 1-14 PSAC), 108-70, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) contest on Wednesday night.
In the first half, it was early and often for the Bald Eagles. They racked up an outstanding 60 points on a stellar 66.7 from the field and carried an insurmountable 60-24 lead into halftime.
Five minutes in, the Huskies hung tough at 14-10, but head coach Mike Nestor’s side took off on a 20-4 run and closed the half on an extended 46-16 scoring run. Jayy Davis (Cheltenham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham (Washington Adventist)) and Eli Washington (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) carried the scoring lift and had poured in 18 and 12 points by halftime, respectively.
Out of the break, the Bald Eagles kept attacking the triple digit plateau and led 75-38 with 15 minutes to play. LHU eclipsed the century mark with 2:48 to play, for the first time since a win over Mansfield in the 2021-22 season.
In the end, Lock Haven cruised home for the 108-70 win. The 108 points are the most for the Bald Eagles since December 10, 1996 when LHU piled 111 points on the Philadelphia College of Bible.
For the game, Davis led all scorers and five Bald Eagles with 29 points including 5-7 from beyond the arc. Davis’s five threes are the most by any Bald Eagle this season. In total he was an efficient 8-13 from the floor as The Haven’s efficient night for the record books continued.
Washington finished with 19 points on 7-9 from the field, and Justice Shoats (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Holy Redeemer) tallied 13 of his own. Jalen Gorham (York, Pa./MacDuffie School (Saint Michael’s)) and James Price (Joppa, Md./Archbishop Curley) each chipped in with 11.
LHU shot the lights out in Nelson Fieldhouse and finished a sensational 65.1 percent from the floor. That mark is tied for the fourth best mark in program history and is the highest since 2012 when The Haven shot .667 against Salem.
Defensively, Lock Haven locked down the Huskies and forced 21 turnovers, blocked 10 shots and snagged 12 steals. The 38-point margin of victory is also the first 30-point win for LHU since 2019 when the Bald Eagles down Carlow, 103-65.
For Lock Haven, the win marked their 14th of the season and is the program’s most since the 2013-14 season when LHU notched a 17-10 record. Importantly, the win moves the Bald Eagles back into joint second-place in the PSAC Eastern Division as the playoff race heats up down the stretch.
Lock Haven hosts Shepherd in a PSAC battle on Saturday in Thomas Fieldhouse at 3 p.m.
