The Lancaster Bible College men's basketball JV team took center stage on Friday night at Horst Athletic Center, as the Chargers defeated Bryn Athyn, 73-67 in front of a limited, but loud crowd of supporters.
 
How it Happened: Lancaster Bible took an early 6-4 lead after a 3-pointer from Wyatt Kwiatkowski, and eventually led 10-4 after a free throw from Mytchell Parmer, and another 3-pointer from Jackson Whitt. Bryn Athyn responded with a 13-3 run however, and Isaiah Cureton's 3-pointer gave the Lions a 17-13 lead with 8:15 left in the half.
 
Bryn Athyn eventually built a seven-point lead on two different occasions, but Jordan Praylow hit a 3-pointer as time expired to end the half, and Lancaster Bible trailed just 30-26 at the break.
 
The Lions' lead went to eight, 36-28, early in the second half, but Lancaster Bible's offense woke up, as Caleb Carpenter began finishing around the rim, and opening things up outside for the Chargers. Lancaster Bible used a 14-4 run to take a 42-40 lead, as Kobe Devine, Ty Erisman, and Carpenter keyed the run.
 
Bryn Athyn retook the lead, and led 50-44 with 12:43 remaining after a layup from Kiaeem Comegys. The teams traded baskets for several minutes, but two free throws from Andrew Workman tied the score at 60-60 with 5:29 left to play. After a Lions basket, Erisman knocked down yet another 3-pointer to give Lancaster Bible a 63-62 lead. The teams continued to go back-and-forth, and two free throws from Bryn Athyn's Tariq Moore knotted the score at 67-67 with 1:28 left.
 
The Chargers worked the ball around on the next possession, and the ball found Ethan Hine in the corner, where he drained a 3-pointer and send the crowd and Lancaster Bible bench into a frenzy. Bryn Athyn couldn't respond on the other end, and Lancaster Bible hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
 
By the Numbers: Lancaster Bible shot 38.9 percent (21-of-54) from the field, but was 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from 3-point range…The Charges were also 17-of-27 from the free throw line…Bryn Athyn shot 39.7 percent (25-of-63) from the floor, but just 25 percent (6-of-24) from beyond the arc…Lancaster Bible held a 39-32 edge in rebounds, including an 8-6 advantage on the offensive glass…Erisman finished with 16 points, as he went 5-of-8 from 3-point range…Carpenter had 15 points, and also pulled down eight boards and dished out three assists…Devine was the final player in double figures with 10 points, while Praylow had seven points, eight rebounds, and four assists…Whitt, Hine, and Kwiatkowski each had six points, while Isaiah Mitchell added four points and three boards, and played terrific defensively…Moore led the Lions with 12 points.
 
The Coach Says: "I'm so proud of the guys, and the way they battled tonight," Lancaster Bible Graduate Assistant Coach Jalen Archer said. "We challenged them at halftime to execute better offensively, and answer the call, and they did just that. We had guys play well all over the floor, and I'm so excited for them to be able to earn a victory. They have worked hard all season long since October, and I'm happy they stepped up in a big way."
 
News & Notes: Five different Lancaster Bible players had two more 3-pointers…In addition to his 16 points, Erisman also pulled down six rebounds, three of which were on the offensive glass…Six of Lancaster Bible's seven field goals in the first half were from 3-point range.
 
Up Next: The Lancaster Bible varsity team will play its final regular season game on Saturday night against Bryn Athyn…Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. and it will be Senior Night, as the Chargers honor Tyler Hilton, Tyler Norris, and Britton Beachy prior to the contest.