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Cold shooting, mistakes prove costly as PSU Wilkes-Barre loses to Penn College.
Penn College’s Ethan Kline drives to the basket between Penn State Wilkes-Barre defenders Jared James, left, and Shawn Williams during a PSUAC playoff semifinal game Tuesday. Penn College won, 58-48.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
STATE COLLEGE — After earning a second consecutive trip to the semifinals of the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs, the Penn State Wilkes-Barre men’s basketball team was looking for the first conference championship in school history.
It was the worst time for the squad’s worst game of the season.
The third-seeded Mountain Lions had 20 turnovers, shot just 32 percent from the floor and scored a season-low 48 points in a 58-48 loss to Penn College at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Mountain Lions, ranked second in PSUAC preseason polls, ended their season at 16-10.
“We made a lot of bad decisions with the ball,” coach Scott Miner said. “We didn’t have it today. We weren’t making sharp passes and our execution was bad.”
The 20 turnovers and a 16-for-50 shooting performance from the floor kept the Mountain Lions from creating any offensive rhythm in either half. They also struggled with free throws, hitting only 10-of-19 from the charity stripe.
“We have to understand that we need to play 40 minutes of basketball,” guard John Sanderson said. The senior – who finished with five points, three assists, and five turnovers in limited action due to early foul trouble – averaged 5.29 assists per game and his 111 total assists were the most in the league.
“All year we’ve played solid for 30 to 35 minutes every game, but we need to learn to play a full game,” he said.
The Wildcats were led by one of the top scorers in the league in Leroy Joiner. The former Williamsport standout finished the game with 19 points, including 12 in the first half, while teammate Phillip Kaylor added 17.
Penn College will face No. 1 seed Penn State Beaver in the championship game at 9 a.m. today.
Out of the gate, PSU Wilkes-Barre had a hard time finding getting anything going thanks in large part to early turnovers and foul trouble. The Mountain Lions were called for five fouls in the game’s first three minutes. Sanderson picked up two quick fouls and was forced to remain on the bench the rest of the half.
Miner used a battalion of players in the first half, as 11 different Mountain Lions entered the game before the 12-minute mark. Thirteen played in all.
Eight players scored for Miner’s squad with Shawn Washington, Travis Dunlap and Jon Kelly each scoring six points.
Trailing 25-24 at halftime, the Lions’ best momentum on the day came on an 8-2 run four minutes into the second half, with the defense holding Joiner without a field goal until the 12:15 mark.
“I think we played good defense overall,” said Miner, whose team split the two regular season games with the Wildcats. “I thought we rebounded very well and fought for whatever boards we could get.”
Despite its second loss in the Bryce Jordan Center in as many seasons, Miner and Sanderson agreed the season’s “rollercoaster ride,” as Miner put it, was a good experience for the team.
“It’s good for us. We’ve been an up-and-down team all year, and we’ll learn how to handle certain situations better,” Miner said.
Sanderson said the one thing he’ll miss most about his past four seasons at will be the camaraderie he has shared with his teammates and coaches.
“Most people would think of the drills, hours of practice, conditioning, classes and all that just becomes tedious work,” Sanderson said. “But it’s been fun for me. It takes you away from everyday life. I’m going to miss all of it.”