ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Albright men's basketball team picked up another MAC Commonwealth victory as they defeated Lebanon Valley 70-61 on Saturday.
With the win, the Lions advance to 2-3 in conference and 6-7 overall. Meanwhile, the Dutchmen fall to 2-4 in MAC Commonwealth play and 5-8 overall.
It was a total team effort as four Lions reached double figures in scoring. Albright was led by senior
Sidney Brown who tallied 15 points on 4-for-12 shooting from the field, 2-for-6 from beyond the arc, and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. Senior
Troy Smoot followed with 13 points behind 4-for-5 shooting from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. Senior
Isaiah Harris added ten points on 5-for-10 shooting and four rebounds. First-year
Eric Chamberlain tallied 11 points behind 4-for-5 shooting, five rebounds, and three steals off the bench.
The Lions jumped out with an 8-2 advantage that was sparked with a three-pointer from Brown. The Dutchmen responded with a 13-2 run to hold a 15-10 lead at the 11:35-mark. Brown and Chamberlain netted back-to-back baskets for the Lions to get them within one. Lebanon Valley then used a 13-5 run to hold onto a 28-19 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the first half. The two teams traded baskets and closed the half out with an even 6-6 run, bringing the score to 34-25 in favor of the Dutchmen entering the break.
Albright used a 14-6 run to open up the second half and cut their deficit to just one point at the 15:00-mark. The Dutchmen scored on back-to-back possessions to pull ahead 44-39. The Lions then scored nine unanswered points jumpstarted by junior
Sean Miller and rounded off with a three-pointer from sophomore Isaac Lapierre to give them a 48-44 lead with just over ten minutes remaining. Lebanon Valley tied it back up at 48 following a pair of free throws and a bucket. Senior
Deion Booker then gave Albright back the momentum sparking a 10-1 run as the Lions held a 58-49 lead at the 6:03-mark. The Dutchmen were able to get within six points of the Lions, but Albright kept their foot on the gas with a 10-2 run that gave them a comfortable 14-point lead with 38 seconds left. Lebanon Valley closed out the game with a three-pointer and the final bucket, but it would not be enough to over Albright who claimed the 70-61 victory.
Albright shot 26-for-54 (48.1%) from the floor, 7-for-19 (36.8%) from beyond the arc, and 11-for-18 (61.1%) from the charity stripe. The Lions converted 20 points off Dutchmen turnovers and tallied 36 points in the paint. Meanwhile, Lebanon Valley shot 23-for-57 (40.4%) from the field, 3-for-12 (25.0%) from three-point range, and 12-for-18 (66.7%) from the free-throw line. The Dutchmen won the battle on the glass 38-31 and earned 19 second chance points.
The Lions will return to the Bollman Center on Wednesday as they take on Eastern in MAC Commonwealth action at 7 p.m.
