Posted: Nov 15, 2017
Haverford, PA - The Penn State Harrisburg Men's Basketball team got its season off on the note defeating Haverford College in a high competitive contest. The Lions got a great effort from junior Kahlil Williams who recorded 22 points and gathered 14 rebounds. The Lions also got 16 points from junior Anthony Bennett Jr. including a free throw with 15 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. In the extra period, Harrisburg would get key baskets from Brandon Coleman, Bennett Jr. and Williams to pull away from the Fords for good.
Penn State Harrisburg 85 vs. Haverford 79 in Overtime
Penn State Harrisburg Starters:
Haverford Starters:
Lang, Stogdon, Scibelli, Hartman, and Garnes
Records:
Penn State Harrisburg: (1-0)
Haverford: (0-1)
Inside The Stats:
Field Goals: Penn State Harrisburg (31-63) vs. Haverford (27-62)
Assists: Harrisburg (11) vs. Haverford (16)
Turnovers: Harrisburg (26) vs. Haverford (21)
Rebounds: Harrisburg (47) vs. Haverford (34)
How it Happened:
Penn State Harrisburg struggled early falling behind the Fords, before Kahlil Williams and Brandon Coleman got the offense going. The Lions would battle back, cutting nine point deficit to one going into going into half down 30-31.
Williams, who had 14 of his 22 points in the second half, would continue making key shots to help the Lions build leads as large as 11 in the second half. But the Fords, rallied back taking a 68-66 lead with only 58 seconds remaining. Junior Gbolahan Alliyu would prove step up and deliver a game tying layup. After the Fords hit a free throw to recapture the lead, Anthony Bennett Jr. would hit a free throw of his own to send the game into overtime.
Penn State Harrisburg would go on a 9-3 in the first three minutes of overtime to put the game out of reach getting key baskets from Bennett Jr., Coleman, and Williams. The Lions finished off the Fords 85-79.
Impact Performance:
Kahlil Williams- 22 Points and 14 Rebounds
Coach Thoughts:
After the game, Head Coach Don Friday said, "Tonight's contest was a game of runs. Haverford had us on our heels early and we closed the gap at half-time. We were able to stretch the lead in the second half, only to see the opponent take momentum and take a lead. What excites me is that our kids hung in and executed down the stretch. Tonight's experience will serve us well moving forward. Our staff can't wait to get back in the gym and continue our journey of getting better."
What's Next:
The Lions will return home to host the Penn State Harrisburg Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday November 18 where they will face Immacualta at 1:00 PM.