Lions efforts come up short at York

York, Pa. - Hazleton faded late in the first half of Tuesday night's conference matchup at Penn State York, leading to a runaway victory for York in the second half by the score of 92-52. Hazleton played tough early on, but the Lion's defense was eventually worn down by the York squad, resulting in Hazleton's 11th straight defeat. 

Feshman Kyle Artis (Allentown, Pa.) scored nine points in the 10 and a half minutes of the game which helped keep the Lions to within single digits of the talented York squad but Hazleton was no match for York on the glass and in the paint on Tuesday night and the home team thwarted any efforts by the Lions to keep close as the game progressed. Hazleton, who started off well, finished the half shooting just 31 percent from the field, while York connected at over 50 percent for the half. During the final nine minutes of the first period, York's advantage ballooned from a nine point cushion to a 23 point advantage as the Lions struck for just three field goals late in the period. York continued to score at a high rate when play resumed in the second half. Just five minutes into the final period, York's lead grew to a 30 point advantage and put Hazleton out of contention for a comeback. 

Depsite the hot start, Kyle Artis remained stuck on nine point for the evening, adding four assists in the loss. Sophomore Donovan Cumberbatch (Springfield Gardens, Ny.) came off the bench to lead the Lions with a 10 point, four rebound effort while sophomore Shea Morgan (Pine Grove, Pa.) notched eight points respectively. 

Next up: The Lions will look to right the ship this weekend when they return to their home court to face Penn State Scranton on Saturday, January 28 at 3:00 p.m.