BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The LHU men's basketball team (8-7, 5-6 PSAC) turned it on in the final five minutes and pulled away for a big 95-80 win over Bloomsburg University (7-10, 4-7 PSAC) in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action on Friday night. The win pushed the Haven's current win streak to four games with this week's two wins over No. 12 West Chester and tonight over Bloomsburg.
 
Early in the first half, the Haven jumped out to a quick 15-7 lead behind a strong perimeter shooting from Matt Cerruti (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Archbishop Wood) who hit two from downtown in the opening minutes. Bloomsburg would trim that lead to 16-15 at the ten-minute mark, and after an even battled first half Bloomsburg held a slight 36-35 lead at the end of the opening half.
 
The Haven went on an early run in the second taking a 51-43 lead five minutes into the half. The Huskies chipped away at the Haven's advantage and took a 67-66 lead with five minutes remaining.
 
In the final five minutes the Bald Eagles pulled together for a gritty win thanks to stingy defense and strong free throw shooting. After a Bloomsburg technical foul, Kelly and Cerruti knocked down all four free throws to give the Haven a 75-69 lead which LHU did not relinquish. Thanks to solid free throw shooting the Bald Eagles eventually pulled away for a 95-80 win.
 
For the second straight game the Bald Eagle offense featured three players who eclipsed the twenty-point plateau.
 
Cerruti and Christian Kelly (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) paced the Haven attack once again pouring in 27 points each.
 
Cerruti shot an impressive 7-14 from the field including 4-6 from downtown and a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line. The junior also chipped in on the glass grabbing five rebounds.
 
Kelly grabbed a team high nine boards along with two blocks and two steals and shot a nearly perfect 14-15 from the free throw line.
 
Trevor Lecuona (Baltimore, Md./ Oakdale) caught fire from beyond the arc and totaled 20 points on 4-5 from three-point range.
 
The Bald Eagles held a decisive edge in free throw shooting which proved vital in the late minutes of the game. LHU held a 31-14 edge in made free throws and shot a resounding 86.1 percent from the charity stripe.
 
Next Up:
 
The Bald Eagles host Millersville in their next time out on Wednesday, January 22. That game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip.