BRYN ATHYN, Pa. – The Bryn Athyn College men's basketball team looks to maintain is playoff positioning when the Lions head to Penn State Berks for a North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) southern division clash on Saturday at 1 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Lions led 63-50 at the 14:43 mark of the second half in its last game at the College of Saint Elizabeth on Jan. 23 but fell to the host Eagles 87-84. Lamarr Crenshaw recorded a career-high 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Christian Rivera added 17 points off the bench and Rahim Washington scored 13 points.
Penn State Berks dropped to 1-16 overall, 1-8 against the NEAC after a 95-76 loss to Penn State Abington on Jan. 23. Matt Seip had 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Dave Polisano added 13 points.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Heading into the weekend, Bryn Athyn is tied for fourth in the southern division with a 3-4 divisional record. The Lions currently have the final division's final playoff spot thanks to a win over Gallaudet back in December. Bryn Athyn is 7-11 overall and 4-5 against the conference.
After starting the season 4-0 in games decided by single digits, the Lions are now 5-5 in those games.
Lamarr Crenshaw has led the Lions in scoring in two of the last three contests. He raised his scoring average to 15.7 points per game, which is 11th in the league. He is one of the conference's strongest shooters, ranking seventh in made field goals (102), eighth in field goal percentage (52.6 percent), and ninth in made free throws (61). Crenshaw scored over 20 points in three of his last six games and has shot 60 percent or better in the last three games.
Rahim Washington—the only Lion to start all 18 games this season—remains as the team's top scorer with 19.1 points per game, which is third in the NEAC. He is second in the conference with 115 made baskets and third with 73 made free throws. Washington—who is eighth in the conference with 41 3-pointers—made one 3-pointer against the Eagles to extend his streak of games with a 3-pointer to eight. He is also fifth in the NEAC in assists (62) and steals (36).
Christian Rivera has brought his scoring average up to 9.0 points per game after his fifth double-digit scoring performance in the last six games. He is third in the conference in assists with 70.
Since joining the starting lineup eight games ago, Larry Stevenson III, who is averaging 8.6 points per game for the season, has put up 13.5 points. He is up to 12th in NEAC with 34 made 3-pointers and has made at least three 3-pointers in each of the last six games.
SCOUTING PENN STATE BERKS
Penn State Berks has dropped nine straight games, allowing at least 80 points in eight of them. The Nittany Lions are 14th in the NEAC in scoring defense, surrendering 92.1 points per game.
Matt Seip is the team's top scorer with 14.7 points per game to rank 15th in the NEAC. He has made 100 shots, which is ninth in the league, and sits 17th with a 47.2 field goal percentage. Seip has scored 20 or more points three times. He is adding team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.
Dave Polisano, who is averaging 13.4 points per game, sits third with 49 made 3-pointers and an 88.1 free throw percentage. He has drilled a 3-pointer in five straight games.
David Dimeo is one of the team's top inside threats with 12.3 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 21 blocked shots. Dimeo is eighth in the conference in blocks.
SERIES HISTORY
Bryn Athyn is 2-4 in six all-time meetings with Penn State Berks. Last year, the Lions picked up their first win at Berks in three attempts with an 85-82 victory on Feb. 8, 2017. Bryn Athyn has won two of the last three contests against Berks.