Box Score Buffalo, NY - The D'Youville men's basketball team was defeated by the Penn State-Behrend Lions on Wednesday evening 76-52 to open their conference schedule.
The two team's played a close game to begin the first half. D'Youville went up 7-6 after 4:49 of basketball with a Jake Socha (Tonawanda, NY/Niagara Catholic) made jumper. Behrend then took over the lead just a few minutes later but Simeon Heard (Rochester, NY/Charles Finney) brought the Spartans back to within one with a made three.
Behrend answered with a three of their own and opened ip a 26-19 lead a few minutes later. They then took their largest lead of the half at 34-23 on another three pointer with 2:57 to go in the first half. Zach Blask (Portville, NY/Portville) made it a 12-point game but the Lions increased their lead to 13 at 39-26 to close out the half.
The Lions offensive attack continued into the second half of play. They increased their lead to 15 and then 20 with 12:53 to go in the game. Freshmen Darrius Hartzog (Rochester, NY/Wilson Magnet), Heard and Haiden Ward (Bloomfield, NY/Bloomfield) all scored baskets to bring the deficit to 19 with 9:31 to play.
In the final 3:50 of the game, only three baskets were scored as the Spartans fell to the Lions in their conference opener by the final of 76-52.
Heard led the team in scoring off the bench with 10 points, adding two rebounds. Ward scored a career high eight points on 3-5 shooting from the field. Juan Miguel Rosales (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Village School) and Jeremy VanDuluitgaarden (Oneida, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) each added seven points as starters.
Will VanAuken (Caledonia, NY/Caledonia-Mumford) led the team with nine rebounds and three assists. Mark Jorgensen (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) had three rebounds off the bench while Brian Nwaekeke (Corona, CA/John F. Kennedy), Bryce Little (Arcade, NY/Pioneer) and Patrick Plummer (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga) all saw extended minutes.
D'Youville will hit the road for their first conference game of the season this Saturday, December 3rd at Mount Aloysius. Game time is 3pm.
