Lions finish fall semester winning 2 of 3 games in conference play
Hazleton, Pa. - Hazleton entered the final week of the fall semester with a 5-3 overall record but just one win in conference play in three tries. Hazleton started off last week's events with a statement win over Penn State Schuylkill and went on to split their weekend series against the PSUAC West, falling at Penn State Greater Allegheny on Friday, December 8 before notching a narrow win at Penn State DuBois the following day.
Tuesday, December 5 - Penn State Schuylkill 74, Penn State Hazleton 80 - Final
After a slow start, the Nittany Lions caught fire from beyond the arc to take a 14 point lead over Schuylkill midway through the period. Third-year player Malachi Green (Atlantic City, Nj.) led the outside attack in the first half, connecting of 5-of-5 triples and scoring 19 points in the period as Hazleton carried a 19 point cushion into the halftime break. Schuylkill got back into the game after the break, aided by 10 makes at the free throw line to cut into Hazleton's lead but the Lions maintained a double figure advantage until the final five minutes of action. There, Schuylkill proceeded on an 8-0 run to get within four points of the Lions but a jumper by Green and three free throws from the Hazleton crew held off the Schuylkill charge to claim the win.
Green cooled off after the hot start but finished the night as Hazleton's top scorer with 21 points. Third year player Jerry Surrency (Vineland, Nj.) added 11 points and a team high six assists while third year player Connor Rushing (Newtown, Pa) chipped in with a double-double on 4-of-7 shooting for 11 points with 10 rebounds. First year player Shamel Gibson (Easton, Pa.) notched 12 points on the night while third year player Dante Harward (Danville, Pa.) totaled eight points with a team high 15 rebounds.
Friday, December 8 - Penn State Hazleton 67, Penn State Greater Allegheny 103 - Final
Following a big win in the east on Tuesday, the Lions ventured across the state to face Penn State Greater Allegheny but struggled from the field all night long. Hazleton shot just 34 percent from the field in the first half to trail the home squad by 12 at the break and an 11-2 run by Greater Allegheny quickly put the Lions down by 21 points early in the second period from the point on, Greater Allegheny maintained a that cushioned and extended it to as many as 38 points late in the contest, cruising to the finish line for the conference win over Hazleton.
The Lions shot just over 31 percent for the game compared to a robust 48 percent shooting for Greater Allegheny. Three Nittany Lions cracked double-figures on the night including Shamel Gibson with 12 points for a team high. Connor Rushing added 10 points and eight rebounds while third year player Nick Sambour (Williamstown, Nj.) totaled 10 points in the loss.
Saturday, December 9 - Penn State Hazleton 79, Penn State DuBois 73 - Final
Hazleton bounced back nicely in game two of the road trip following the blowout defeat on Friday night. Hazleton trailed by double figures for the first eight minutes of the game but a pair of triples by second year player Kyle Artis (Allentown, Pa) and Nick Sambour sparked the Hazleton offense and got them right back in contention. Dante Harward scored eight points in the final five minutes of the half to get Hazleton within two points of the DuBois, ending the period with 11 to lead the squad at the break. Hazleton took their first lead of the night just one minute into the second period and the teams would trade blows for the next 14 minutes of play. With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Kyle Artis sank a jumper that put Hazleton up for good and the Lions went on to make 8-of-10 free throws in the final two minutes and change to seal up the victory.
Harward and Jerry Surrency topped the charts for Hazleton in the final game of the semester with Harward nabbing a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Surrency went 8-for-11 from the field on Saturday to post 17 points with three steals to his credit. Shamel Gibson added 16 points in the win to go along with 12 points from Connor Rushing to round out the top performers for Hazleton.
Next up: The Lions end the first semester with a 7-4 overall record and an even 3-3 record in the PSUAC heading into the winter break. Hazleton will resume play on Friday, January 12 when the Lions host Penn State Fayette in the Dr. Thomas M. Caccese Gymnasium at 8:00 p.m.