Box Score
READING, Pa. – Led by near record setting performances from senior guards
Matt Ashcroft and
Jeff Sparrow, men's basketball (4-2) rolled to their second straight win with an 86-69 non-conference decision over Misericordia University (5-3) Wednesday evening in the Bollman Center.
Ashcroft closed out Wednesday's contest just one 3-pointer away from tying the single game record of nine on his way to a game-high 29 points. The lefty was 9-for-14 on the night with eight three's and was 3-for-5 at the line. Sparrow's night consisted of 10 of Albright's 28 assists, which put him just three assists shy of matching the single game mark.
Off the bench the Lions saw the return of 6'11”
Derek Hall who combined for 14 points and seven rebounds on the night. Hall's return to competition came after being sidelined for almost two weeks with an ankle injury.
Cornell Mickens was also solid off the bench as he totaled a career-best 15 points in 15 minutes of action. On the glass, freshman
Kyle Jordan pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds.
Misericordia was driven by Ethan Eichhorst's 22 points and 11 rebounds. Robbie Johnson finished second on the team with 16 points, followed by Jeff Slanovec who had 10 points off the bench
Overall, the Lions shot an impressive 50% from the field on 35-of-70 shooting. From behind the arc, the red and white were 10-for-25. At the line Albright struggled making just six of their 12 opportunities, while Misericordia was nearly perfect going 15-for-18 from the charity strip. Albright dominated the rebounding category totaling 47 boards (18 off, 29 def) as compared to Misericordia's 28 (8 off, 20 def).
After falling into an early hole, the Lions used a quick 12-4 run to regain control of the scoreboard with just over 12 minutes to play in the first half. After that quick change in momentum, the Lions began to distance themselves from their non-conference opponents with consistent shooting and tough rebounding.
Led by Ashcroft who was absolutely untouchable from 3-point land, the Lions managed to extend their lead to 10 with just over a minute to play. They eventually went into the locker room holding a seven point lead.
In the second half, the Lions continued to rip through the Misericordia game plan. Every time the Cougars tried to build momentum, the red and white had an answer. The Lions would earn their largest lead around the midway point of the final half, following an Ashcroft three (64-50).
Even with a quick five points by the Cougars to cut the lead to nine, Albright was on another level and roared right back. Just two minutes later, the Lions made it a 15-point contest and never looked back as they improved to 2-0 all-time against Misericordia.
Men's Basketball returns to the Bollman Center on Saturday when they host Penn State Berks at 4 p.m.
