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Sunday, December 05, 1993 Page: 17C QUICK WORDS: LIONS JUST HANG ON TO
BEAT MONT ALTO
Lions just hang on to beat Mont Alto
MONT ALTO — As Penn State-Mont Alto’s last-second shot rolled off the rim,
Penn State-Hazleton held on to a 66-63 win in the Lions’ Commonwealth
Campus
Athletic Conference opener Saturday at Mount Alto”We were definitely not
playing to potential,” said Hazleton coach Tom Caccese, whose team has now
played four straight road games. “I think we’re getting a little road weary.
But I’m satisfied with the win. We did gut it out at the end.”
Penn State-Hazleton is 3-2 on the season, and 1-0 in the CCAC.
Tom Edwards led Hazleton with 25 points, while Jason Bodnar added 22.
The Lions led most of the first half, trailed most of the second half, then
found themselves watching a last-second three-pointer — that could have tied
the game — bounce off the rim.
The desperation shot came soon after the Lions tied the game at 60-60 with
1:33 remaining, after trailing most of the half.
Edwards’ field goal with 1:20 remaining put Hazleton ahead 62-60, then Mont
Alto fouled Scott Steinhart with 47 seconds reminaing to stop the clock.
Steinhart hit one of two shots for a tree-point lead, but Mont Alto tied
the game with a three-pointer.
With 18 seconds left, Bodnar hit a pair of free throws for a 65-63 lead.
Tom Marsillio added another free throw with 10 seconds left to put Hazleton
ahead 66-63.
In the final seconds, Mont Alto missed one shot but got the rebound, before
tossing up the ill-fated three-pointer that missed.
“I’ve got to give Mont Alto credit,” Caccese said. “They kept in it until
the end.”
Hazleton shot 44 percent from the field in the first half, then a miserable
35 percent in the second half.
Edwards led Hazleton with 13 rebounds, while Bodnar added nine and Reilly
pulled down eight.
“Reilly got in foul trouble early in the game, and that hurt him,” Caccese
said.
Reilly and Jim Kane each had four assists.
The Lions are at Middlesex College on Monday night, and return to
conference action at Penn State-Delaware on Wednesday.
They return home Thursday to face Penn State-Dubois at 1 p.m.
PSU-HAZLETON (66)
Surmick 0 0-0 0, Kane 0 1-2 1, Marsillio 0 2-4 2, Opella 3 0-0 7, Kuhn 1
0-0 2, Burns 0 0-0 0, Reilly 1 1-2 3, Steinhart 1 1-2 4, Bodnar 7 8-10 22,
Edwards 5 15-17 25, Snyder 0 0-0 0. 18 28-37 66.
PSU-MONT ALTO (63)
Morrison 4 5-7 13, Wilson 6 5-5 19, Ellis 5 1-3 13, MacPherson 3 1-2 7,
Bealmear 3 0-0 6, Russel 2 1-1 5. Totals 23 13-17 63.
Three-point goals: Opella, Steinhart, Wilson (2), Ellis (2).
Halftime: Hazleton, 36-33.
Officials: Kganis, Turasion.