BRYN ATHYN, Pa. – The Bryn Athyn College men's basketball team begins its push towards the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Tournament with the first 13 straight conference games starting on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at Penn State Abington at 6 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
Bryn Athyn couldn't overcome a 26-point first half deficit in a 96-88 loss to Penn State Brandywine on Jan. 5 in Asplundh Field House. The Lions turned in their best offensive performance of the season, setting season highs in points scored (88), made baskets (33), made 3-pointers (10), shooting percentage (50.0), and assists (18).
Rahim Washington had a career-high 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting, 5-of-8 from 3-point range. The 32 points are the most by a Lion this season. Lamarr Crenshaw added 22 points, while Okoye Taylor came off the bench to record a career-high 18 points. Christian Rivera tallied a career-best 10 assists.
Penn State Abington last took the court on December 30 at picked up a 94-85 victory over Medgar Evers on the final day of the Stevenson Tournament. Six Nittany Lions scored in double figures, led by Devin Hill's 20 points. Pernell Ghee (12 points, 13 rebounds) and Jordan Lomax (10 points, 16 rebounds) both had a double-double.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Bryn Athyn (6-6, 3-0 NEAC) performed very well in its first three NEAC games of the season, averaging 78.0 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting. In non-conference play, the Lions averaged just 68.1 points per game.
The Lions are 3-4 away from Asplundh Field House and putting up 66.4 points per game while shooting 40.7 percent. This season, the Lions are posting 70.6 points per game.
After the best scoring performance of his career, Rahim Washington moved up to second in the conference in scoring with 19.0 points per game. He is the conference leader in made field goals (78) and minutes per game (35.3). Washington is also sixth in made free throws (47) and 10th in made 3-pointers (25). He has led the team in scoring eight times.
Lamarr Crenshaw has increased his scoring average to 15.3 points per game, which is 13th in the NEAC. He is the team's top rebounder with 6.6 boards per game.
Christian Rivera is averaging 15.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in conference play so far this season. He climbed up to fourth in the NEAC in assists with 42 after recording a career-high 10 against Penn State Brandywine.
SCOUTING PENN STATE ABINGTON
The Nittany Lions enter Wednesday night's contest with a 3-7 overall record, 2-2 at home. This game will be Abington's first home game since a 91-64 win over the College of Saint Elizabeth on November 28.
Abington is the conference's top scoring offense with 83.9 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting. One of the top shooting teams in the NEAC, the Nittany Lions lead the conference in made 3-pointers per game (10.4), 3-point attempts per game (28.5), and made free throws per game (77.0 percent). The team is ranked second in free throw attempts per game (24.3) and 3-point shooting (36.5 percent).
The team's Achilles heel is the defense with the Nittany Lions sitting 10th in opponent shooting percentage (44.3 percent) and 12th in scoring defense (84.8 points per game).
Devin Hill is the Nittany Lions' leading scorer with 14.7 points per game, which is 17th overall in the conference. In conference play, Hill has the 10th best scoring average with 18.3 points per game. He is the NEAC's second-best free throw shooter at 88.9 percent, making 32 of his 36 attempts.
Terrance Reese is adding 13.7 points per game. Reese is the NEAC leader in free throw shooting (90.9 percent) and ninth in made 3-pointers (25). He is also ranked ninth in blocked shots with 14.
Jordan Lomax is third in the NEAC in rebounding with 9.7 per game. Lomax has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in four of the seven games he has played. He is prone to foul trouble, reaching four fouls five times, but has yet to foul out of a game.
SERIES HISTORY
Bryn Athyn and Abington are meeting for the ninth time on Wednesday with the teams splitting the first eight games. Bryn Athyn is 2-2 all-time at Abington. Last season, the teams split the season series with each time winning on its home floor. The Lions' last win at Abington came on Feb. 4, 2016 by a 95-87 score in overtime.