Hazleton falls to Lehigh Valley 102-36

Hazleton, Pa. - The Nittany Lions dropped their first conference battle of the season on Tuesday night in a 102-36 rout by Penn State Lehigh Valley in the Dr. Thomas M. Caccese Gymnasium. Hazleton was able to hang with the talented visiting squad for much of the first half until Lehigh Valley's numbers and defensive pressure took it's effect on the Nittany Lions. Hazleton trailed by just seven points heading into the second period and kept the game within single digits until the seven minute mark in the period. Lehigh Valley went on to finish the quarter on a 27-4 run to claim a 51-21 lead at the midway point. Despite their best efforts, that trend continued for the Nittany Lions for the remainder of the night. Ultimately, Lehigh Valley's defensive pressure led to 36 Hazleton turnovers and just a 22.4 shooting percentage for Hazleton who falls to 4-4 on the season and 3-1 in PSUAC play. 

On a tough night for the Lions, Hazleton was led by sophomore Azaria Johnson (Richmond Hill, Ga.) who totaled 17 points and nine rebounds in the in the loss. Sophomore Cassandra Rodriguez (League City, Tx.) notched 10 points in the game while sophomore Rocky Curry (Darby, Pa.) picked up seven points and dozen rebounds respectively.