Brandywine Escapes Hazleton With Road Victory

HAZLETON, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine nearly let a six-point lead with 61 seconds to go slip away, but held on for a 68-66 men's basketball victory at Penn State Hazleton on Saturday afternoon.

Neither team owned a lead larger than four points during a tightly-contested first half that saw the Lions hold a 32-30 edge entering intermission.

Brandywine upped its lead to seven points after making four three-pointers in a span of 3:15 early in the second half; however, the Lions went without a field goal for more than five minutes later in the period as Hazleton jumped into the lead. After Colin Hockenbrock (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) made a layup at the 11:57 mark, the hosts scored on six of their next seven possessions to vault on top 60-55.

Joey Brusha (Abington, Pa./Abington) put an end to the cold spell for the Lions' offense by canning a jumper with 6:44 to go. A.J. Dreger (Newtown Square, Pa./Bonner-Prendie) followed with a triple that knotted the score and Jaheim Aiken (Philadelphia, Pa./Cristo Rey) put Brandywine back on top with a layup. Dreger padded the Brandywine lead, knocking down four-straight free throws, to cap an 11-0 Lions' surge.

After a Hazleton basket, Hockenbrock answered with a layup to keep the margin at six points at 68-62 with 61 seconds to play.

Brandywine missed free throws during its next two possessions and Hazleton buried a second-chance triple with 17 seconds on the clock to cut its deficit in half. The hosts got one point closer by sinking a free throw with four seconds to go and after a Brandywine turnover, Hazleton had a shot for the win, but a three-pointer was off the mark at the buzzer.

Hockenbrock paced the Lions with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double and two blocked shots. Dreger and Olayinka Itabiyi (Chester, Pa./Chester) both produced 10 points, while Brusha, Dillon Jones (Wilmington, Del./Hodgson Vo-Tech) and Jamar Wright (Wilmington, Del./Conrad School of Science) all contributed eight points.

Brandywine knocked down 11 three-pointers, while limiting Hazleton to 8-of-25 shooting from long range.

Brandywine (6-11, 6-6 PSUAC) has a week off before continuing its three-game road trip Saturday, Feb. 3 at Penn State Wilkes-Barre at 3:00 PM.