Box Score MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The SUNY Morrisville men's basketball team battled to the final whistle Saturday afternoon against league-leading Penn St. Harrisburg, but couldn't overcome the Nittany Lions as they fell 80-72 in United East play.

THE BASICS:

• Final Score: Morrisville 72, Penn St. Harrisburg 80 (halftime: Harrisburg 39-36)
• Location: STUAC Gymnasium, Morrisville, N.Y.
• Records: Morrisville 5-12, 2-7 United East; Penn St. Harrisburg 16-1, 9-0 United East

 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Host SUNY Morrisville fell in United East action Saturday afternoon, challenging league undefeated Penn St. Harrisburg from the opening whistle, but ran out of time as the Nittany Lions pulled away for the 80-72 win over the Mustangs in Morrisville.
• For the second time in as many days, Morrisville guard Michael Litchfield (St. Albans, N.Y.) put up a collegiate high, netting 24 in the loss, including four from beyond the arc, while collecting five rebounds.
• A pair of Mustangs added double-figures in the efforts, with Tron Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y.) collecting 13 while dishing out three assists and Jordan Coard (Jamaica, N.Y.) posting a collegiate best 10 to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
• Jon Brennan (Irvington, N.Y.) and Mike Green (Bronx, N.Y.) added nine apiece, with Brennan snagging a team high seven boards and six assists.
• Green added four assists and two steals to his totals.
• Morrisville trailed by three at the half, outgaining the visitors 8-2 over the final 1:22 of the period.
• Green kicked off the spurt for the Mustangs with a layup in the paint before extending an outreached arm to collect the steal and convert for a fast break dunk on the opposite end.
• Litchfield followed with a bucket of his own, and Coard beat the buzzer with a bucket to send the Mustangs into the half trailing 39-36.
• In the second, Harrisburg led by as many as 10, but the Mustangs chipped away, including over the final 2:33 of play, maintaining pressure defensively and attacking the rim on the offensive side of the ball.
• Brennan hit back-to-back jumpers for the Mustangs to make it a six point ball game with 28 ticks to go, but Harrisburg regained an eight-point advantage with two free throws on their ensuing possession.
• Litchfield added a jumper, again making it a two-possession game, but Harrisburg responded with two more from the line to restore the eight-point lead.
• A fast break layup by Smith cut the advantage to six, but Morrisville fell short on time as the Nittany Lions sealed the win with two additional from the charity stripe.
• Morrisville outgained Harrisburg 30-20 with points in the paint, and outshot the visitors 50% to 49.1, but it was the 13-for-15 effort from the Nittany Lions free throw line that earned the conference win for the blue and white.

 
WHAT'S NEXT:
 

• Morrisville will return to the court Tuesday, traveling to nearby Cazenovia for a Route 20 Rivalry with the Wildcats. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Cazenovia.

 
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