Hazleton falls on the road to Mont Alto 79-58

Mont Alto, Pa. - The Hazleton Men's Basketball team fell to 0-3 in conference play on Tuesday night when the squad traveled to face Penn State Mont Alto. The Lions were strong with the ball, committing just 10 turnovers in the game compared to 16 for the home squad, but the Lions failed to convert from the field in the first half, leaving them trailing for the duration of play and forced to settle for a double-figure loss, 79-58. 

It was a forgettable shooting night for the Hazleton squad who connected on just 9-of-35 attempts in the first half of Tuesday night's game. Mont Alto jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the early stages of play and continued to knock down shots throughout the period. Mont Alto surged ahead for a 20 point advantage with seven minutes remaining in the period and finished the half with an impressive 53 percent shooting effort that included seven triples to leave the Lions trailing by 23 points at the midway point. Hazleton rallied in the second half, getting six triples from a combination of third year players Andre Campbell and Shamell Ponds as well as fourth year Dante Harward. Their efforts along with five steals in the period helped Hazleton trim the deficit to just 12 points with eight minutes to play, but the Lions were unable to sustain the momentum. After connecting from long range early in the game,Mont Alto took it to the rim late in the action, getting eight field goals in the paint during the final eight minutes of action to extend their lead back over 20 points, closing out the game for a 21 point victory over Hazleton. 

The trio of Campbell, Ponds and Harward finished the game with the bulk of Hazleton's offense on Tuesday, with the Lions bench registering just four points in the loss. Campbell finished the night 8-of-19 from the field for 21 points including four triples, with Ponds adding 16 points and Harward totaling 10 points and nine rebounds respectively. 

Hazleton will look to pick up their first conference win as they return to their home court on Friday, December 6 when Hazleton hosts Penn State Greater Allegheny in the Dr. Thomas M. Caccese Gymnasium at 8:00 p.m.