LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – A balanced offensive effort and a dominant second half powered the Lock Haven men's basketball team past Millersville, 86-77, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East action on Saturday afternoon at Thomas Fieldhouse.
The Bald Eagles clinched a 2-0 week after also downing Mansfield on Tuesday and improved to 7-9 overall and 3-6 in the PSAC. The Haven is now 6-2 in front of the home crowd.
Lock Haven, who currently sits at fifth in the PSAC East, knocked Millersville (11-6, 6-4 PSAC) out of sole possession for first place in the Eastern Division.
Dean Coleman-Newsome led the Bald Eagles with a team-high 20 points, going 13-of-14 from the free-throw line while adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Keith Warren poured in 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range and collected a team-best five steals.
Lock Haven carried a 36-30 lead into halftime after shooting 47 percent from the floor in the opening period, but Millersville opened the second half with a flurry and briefly surged in front.
The Bald Eagles responded with composure, using efficient half-court offense and timely stops to outscore the Marauders 50-47 over the final 20 minutes and protect their home floor.
Dyllon Scott flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds to go with a game-high seven assists and two blocks.
Luke Kennevan chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals, while
Blake Deegan added nine points, five rebounds and three steals.
Off the bench,
Devon Nelson provided a major spark with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including several key buckets during Millersville runs, and
Mike Knouse grabbed four rebounds to help Lock Haven finish with 30 boards on the afternoon.
The Bald Eagles were sharp from the field, shooting 47 percent (27-of-57) overall and 35 percent (7-of-20) from beyond the arc, while converting 25-of-35 free throws.
Lock Haven also turned 15 Millersville turnovers into 24 points and held a 24-11 advantage in points off turnovers, which proved critical in the back-and-forth PSAC matchup that featured 11 lead changes and five ties.
Next up for The Haven:
The Bald Eagles are back on the road and will visit East Stroudsburg on Wednesday, Jan. 21 for a 7:30 p.m. PSAC battle.