LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Despite a valiant second-half surge, the Lock Haven men's basketball team (9-16, 5-13 PSAC) fell just short in a thrilling 80-76 battle vs. East Stroudsburg (19-7, 13-6 PSAC) in Thomas Fieldhouse on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action.
 
Luke Kennevan provided the offensive spark for Lock Haven and finished with a game-high 23 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. The freshman guard's explosive performance kept the Bald Eagles within striking distance throughout the contest, but it wasn't enough to overcome a slow start that saw them trail 36-30 at halftime.
 
Dyllon Scott added 14 points and dominated the glass with 11 rebounds in a double-double effort, while Keith Warren chipped in eight points and four assists.
 
Lock Haven outscored the Warriors 46-44 after intermission after turning Warriors' turnovers into easy scoring opportunities, cutting what was once a 12-point deficit to just four points with under a minute remaining.
 
The turning point came with 3:17 remaining when Lock Haven trimmed the deficit to 73-67 following Scott's layup. However, clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch allowed East Stroudsburg to maintain their advantage despite the Bald Eagles' furious rally attempt.
 
Lock Haven's three-point shooting kept the group in the game, connecting on 9-of-28 attempts, with Kennevan's perimeter excellence leading the charge.
 
The Warriors' depth, however, proved to be too much as ESU finished with 37 bench points compared to 13 for The Haven.
 
Next up for The Haven:
The Bald Eagles travel to West Chester for a PSAC East showdown on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.