Bloomsburg University Men's Basketball Falls to Penn State

BLOOMSBURG --The Bloomsburg University men's basketball team got their first taste of Big Ten basketball, falling to Penn State University 77-51 on Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa.

Ruben Britt

Bloomsburg got on the board for the first time in 2008 when Larry Webster (Elkton, Md/Elkton) hit a lay-up just 2:30 into the game, cutting the Nittany Lion lead to 5-2. After a Talor Battle three-pointer, Ruben Britt (Vorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) hit one of two free throws to cut the score to 8-3. After another missed PSU jumper, Trevon Johnson (Snow Hill, MD/Snow Hill) hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 8-6 with just under sixteen minutes remaining in the first half.

After a PSU basket, Daniel Hoover (Lansdale/North Penn) lobbed in a pass to Webster for a tough lay-up to cut the PSU lead back down to two, 10-8. The Nittany Lions would go on a 7-0 run before a Webster lay-up cut the lead back to seven, 17-10. Penn State would go to a 14-4 run over the next seven minutes to take a 31-14 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half.

Bloomsburg would make a run with five minutes remaining in the first half. A fast break lay-up and a three-pointer by Britt on consecutive possessions cut the score to 31-19, and a pair of Johnson lay-ups would cut the PSU lead down to 12, 35-23 with under two minutes in the first half. Penn State would try to extend their lead, but a Webster block and a Johnson free throw would make the score 37-24 at halftime.

PSU would open the second half on a 15-2 run over the first four minutes of the second half to extend their advantage to 52-29. A Drew Jerry (Philadelphia/Olney) outlet pass to Britt turned into a three-point play, cutting the PSU lead to 52-32. A pair of Hoover lay-ups made the score 60-36 PSU with just under thirteen minutes remaining.

Webster hit a pair of lay-ups and Johnson hit one of two free throws to make the score 66-41 Penn State with nine minutes left to play. Penn State would score 11 straight over the next four minutes before Johnson and Ronnie Benson (Harleysville/Souderton) hit back-to-back three pointers to cut the lead back to 30, 77-47 with just under four minutes remaining. Two Webster lay-ups closed out the scoring for the Huskies, as Bloomsburg held the Nittany Lions scoreless over the last four minutes of the game.

Webster led the Huskies with 16 points and 12 rebounds to go along with five blocked shots. Britt added 14 and Johnson had 11 for Bloomsburg. Battle led the Nittany Lions with 17 points.

The Huskies open the regular season on Saturday when they travel to St. Michaels, Vermont to take on Middlebury College. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.