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The 2011-12 Albright College men's basketball team has undeniable potential, playing a Division I opponent tough for an entire half and winning two tournaments- the Albright Tip-Off Tourny and Moravian Greyhound Starters Classic. However, the Lions now find themselves in an 0-3 hole in conference play, setting up a huge Commonwealth home matchup with Elizabethtown on Saturday.

Albright College Lions (9-5, 0-3 Commonwealth Conference)

The Lions, playing their second home conference game of the season, face what is almost a must-win situation with local rivalry games against Alvernia and Lebanon Valley looming next week.

Albright has had several promising performances in recent weeks- taking an 18-14 lead against Cornell University, and previously beating Moravian on the road to take the hosts' tournament title. The Lions clearly have the talent to challenge any team in the league and will look to build some momentum against a Blue Jays team that defeated them twice in 2010-11 by a total margin of just seven points.

Senior Derek Hall continues to lead the way, averaging team-bests in scoring (13.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg). The big man has also managed to lead the team in minutes played and has not fouled out all season. He is protected underneath by the additional post presence of senior Shane Irwin (9.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and junior Zach Benjamin (3.9 ppg and 3.0 rpg in an average of 10 minutes off the bench).

Transfer guard Dave Singleton is second in scoring (11.2 ppg in five appearances) as he continues to work his way into the rotation. His presence, along with team assist leader Sam Marrella (3.57 apg), allows Albright the flexibility to go either big (with their front court depth) or small (with Singleton, Marrella, and swingmen Kyle Jordan and Cornell Mickens all on the floor together).

Albright's biggest problem has been finding a way to play 40 consistent minutes at the level they are capable off. The Lions let a 19-point second half lead slip in a 59-58 loss to Richard Stockton, and blew an 18-point lead late at Moravian before recovering for the win. Late scoring slumps doomed them in Commonwealth losses to Lycoming and Widener, and a 13-point hole was ultimately too much to climb out of Wednesday at Messiah. The hosts will look for a complete 40-minute performance, something they'll need against a solid Elizabethtown squad.

Elizabethtown College Blue Jays (5-8 Overall, 1-2 Commonwealth Conference)

Elizabethtown has been living on the edge in recent times, culminating in center Andrew Mantz' game-winning basket as the Blue Jays defeated Widener 78-76 on Wednesday. It was the fourth consecutive E'town game decided by three points or less; 10 of the Blue Jays' last 11 games have been decided by single-digits.

Mantz has started every game and is second on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and first in rebounding (8.2 rpg). Behind Mantz, the Blue Jays have struggled a bit inside however, being out-rebounded overall and blocking just 22 shots on the year.

Sophomore guard Joe Schwalm leads Elizabethtown in minutes (30.8 per game), field goal percentage (48.8) and scoring (12.6 ppg). Backcourt partner Kyle McConnell plays a highly aggressive style on both ends of the court- he leads the squad in assists (54) and has 22 steals, while also submitting team-highs in turnovers and fouls.

Cornell Video Available Online

The Albright College men's basketball team recently faced off against Division I Cornell University, and converted on several impressive plays throughout the contest. Check out albrightathletics.com or the albrightlions Youtube page for both a highlight package of the game, and a special episode of “The Lion's Den” show that includes some behind-the-scenes footage of the trip.