The Lancaster Bible College men's basketball team took over sole possession of first place in the North Eastern Athletic Conference South Division on Friday night, as the Chargers used a huge second half to defeat Penn St. Abington, 82-61 in Abington, Pa. The Chargers improved to 10-6 overall and 7-1 in NEAC play with the victory, while the Nittany Lions dropped to 8-8 overall and 5-2 in conference action.
 
How it Happened: The teams traded early baskets, as Jordan Shewbridge's 3-pointer 4:49 into the contest gave the Chargers a 9-7 lead. Neither team could create much separation until midway through the opening half, when the Nittany Lions took a 24-17 lead on a layup from Charles Ervin. Lancaster Bible answered over the next four minutes, and tied the game at 26-26 on a layup from Tyler Norris.
 
The teams then traded 6-0 runs late in the first half, and a late free throw from Pernell Ghee gave Penn St. Abington a 36-35 lead after 20 minutes of play.
 
Luke Beers have five of Lancaster Bible's first 10 points to open the second half, as his fastbreak layup 2:34 into the second frame gave the Chargers a 45-40 advantage. The lead grew to 10 two minutes later, as Quentin Davis notched seven straight points and gave the Chargers a 52-42 lead. Shewbridge's 3-pointer moments later extended the lead to 64-49, and the Chargers were off and running. Britton Beachy converted a three-point play with just over three minutes remaining to give Lancaster Bible a 20-point lead, and the Chargers eventually won by 21.
 
By the Numbers: Lancaster Bible shot 46.7 percent (28-of-60) from the floor, including 9-of-21 from 3-point range…The Chargers shot 57.7 percent (15-of-26) in the second half, and were 17-of-25 from the free throw line…The Nittany Lions shot 38.3 percent (18-of-47) from the floor, and just 3-of-13 from beyond the arc...Davis led the Chargers with 18 points, and also had five rebounds, three blocks, and three steals…Beachy had 15 points and five boards, while Raymond added 14 points, five rebounds and three assists…Shewbridge had 12 points, while Tyler Norris chipped in with 11 points…Luke Beers was the sixth and final player in double figures with 10 points, and added seven rebounds and three steals as well…Pernell Ghee had a team-high 15 points for the Nittany Lions.
 
The Coach Says: "The guys played really well tonight," Lancaster Bible Head Coach Andrew Wingreen said. "We hit some 3-pointers in the first half to keep us in the game, but played great defense in the second half and didn't have to rely on 3-pointers so much. I thought Shewbridge and Benny did a nice job of getting Abington out of its zone, and we were able to take advantage of that. The guys played with lots of energy, and it was nice to see production from so many players and earn a big conference win."
 
Information Hodge Podge: Lancaster Bible is now 12-6 all-time against Penn St. Abington…The game was originally to be played on Saturday, but was moved up to Friday night due to the impending winter weather…The Chargers are 4-2 in true road games this season, including 3-0 in road NEAC games…The 17 made free throws were the third-most in a game for the Chargers this season…The six players in double figures is a season high…Friday night's 12 steals tied a season high, and the Chargers scored 80+ points in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
 
Up Next: Lancaster Bible heads to Morristown, N.J. on Wednesday night, as the Chargers take on St. Elizabeth at 7 p.m.