Men's Basketball Battles With Penn State New Kensington

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. – Penn State Schuylkill Men's Basketball fell in a closely contested matchup to Penn State New Kensington on Friday.

The game was fiercely contested from start to finish, featuring 12 ties and 9 lead changes throughout the matchup. Antwuan Byrd (Harrisburg, PA / Bishop McDevitt High School) took the initiative at the beginning of Friday's contest, locating Dashawn Dixon (Baltimore, MD / Catonsville High School) for Schuylkill's initial score. Byrd then proceeded to sink consecutive jump shots, narrowing Schuylkill's deficit to 7-6 early in the contest. A three-pointer by Andrew Sepp (Bogota, NJ / Saint Mary High School) moments later gave Schuylkill the momentum, prompting a timeout from New Kensington.

Schuylkill seized a 29-27 lead with 6:01 remaining in the first half after Wilvens Fleurizard's (Tamarac, FL / Coral Springs High School) bucket, marking their first lead since the early stages of the contest. A successful jump shot by Makhi Jones (Harrisburg, PA / Susquehanna Township High School) concluded a 13-6 Schuylkill stretch, establishing their largest lead at 42-33. A 9-2 run by New Kensington with :32 seconds left in the half brought their deficit to 44-42. Jones hit a buzzer-beater to conclude the half, giving Schuylkill a two-possession lead heading into the second half.

New Kensington claimed their first lead of the second half with a made three-point basket at 14:57. Byrd promptly responded with a three-pointer of his own, leveling the game at 55-55. New Kensington accepted the challenge, sinking another three at 14:32. Byrd's hot hand replied with another three-point shot, tying the score at 58-58 with 13:28 remaining.

Schuylkill maintained their sharpshooting from beyond the arc, reclaiming the lead at 61-58 after a three-pointer from Jones with 12:13 remaining. Baskets by Dixon and Pau Pumarola (Barcelona, Spain / IMG Academy) extended Schuylkill's lead to 72-64 with 7:09 remaining.

Trailing 81-79 after a late run by New Kensington, Schuylkill sought a basket in crunch time. Sepp delivered, connecting on a three-pointer to give Schuylkill a one-point edge with 1:44 remaining. New Kensington regained an 83-82 lead on the next possession with a pair of made free throws.

In the closing moments, as Schuylkill sought a crucial basket, Byrd drove down the right side of the lane and finished over multiple defenders, providing Schuylkill with a one-point lead with :11 seconds remaining. With Schuylkill focused on defense and 2.6 seconds left in the contest, New Kensington sank a deep three-pointer at the buzzer to secure the victory.

Byrd led Schuylkill with 23 points and 9 assists. Dixon notched a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Jones and Sepp contributed off the bench, scoring 11 and 10 points respectively.

Schuylkill (2-7 overall, 0-2 PSUAC) will return to action on Saturday against Penn State Shenango.