Roaring Lions Continue to Roll, Rally in Both Road Wins

Faced with yet another road trip and two formidable PSUAC opponents, the Roaring Lions needed strong finishes in both games to secure crucial road wins.  On Saturday, Fayette rallied in the second half to beat PSU Hazleton 72-69.  Junior point guard CJ Gaddis nailed the opening three of the game from the top of the key, and the Roaring Lions rolled to an early first half double-digit lead.  Fayette was up by as many as eleven points, leading 22-11 at the 11:40 mark.  Leading the run was the trio of Roaring Lion Senior forwards Jacob Bronder, Matt McKenna, and Dierre Jenkins.  A few three pointers by Jenkins and McKenna, followed by 6 quick paint points by Bronder, and the home team was forced into using 3 of their 6 timeouts in the first half.  Hazleton then ran off a 22-12 to end the half, headed into the locker room with a 36-34 lead.

Both teams traded baskets for the first ten minutes of the second half, until a steal and a layup by Junior guard Luke Williams sparked another Fayette run, putting Fayette ahead 52-48.  The Roaring Lions rattled off ten straight points behind Williams and Sophomore guard Tony Bristol.  "Tony and (Sophomore guard) Dominick Jackson change the dynamic of the game when they come in.  Their defensive efforts are so pressuring and so fundamentally sound, they create instant offense for us," commented head coach Mookie John.

Penn State Hazleton continued to fight, giving the Roaring Lions everything they had until the buzzer sounded.  

McKenna led all Roaring Lion scorers with 23, while he also grabbed 8 rebounds.  Williams followed with 20, while Jenkins and Bronder chipped in 8 a piece. 

For game two of the weekend's trip, the Roaring Lions traveled to Bethlehem, PA, where they matched up against Penn State Lehigh Valley at Lehigh University's Stabler Arena.  Again, Fayette had to claw its way back from a five point half-time deficit and an eleven point second half deficit.  

Being held to only 25 first half points, the Roaring Lions found themselves in an unfamiliar territory.  However, Fayette's defensive effort kept them in the game early.  

Lehigh Valley led for most of the game, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead before a three pointer by McKenna put Fayette on the board.  As the two teams traded baskets for the next ten minutes, Williams and Bronder combined for Roaring Lions next 17 points before McKenna hit another layup to cut Lehigh Valley's lead to 24-22  with 6:20 left in the half.  

Lehigh Valley scored the next six points before free throws by Jackson and McKenna ended the half.  Fayette found themselves trailing 30-25 headed into the locker room.

The Roaring Lions started the second half slowly, falling behind quickly 41-30, before Fayette began their run.  The Roaring Lions stormed back, scoring the next eleven points on a Bronder three from the corner, a Jenkins three from the wing, and a layup by Williams.  Gaddis topped off the run with a three from the top of the key.  "I was trying to make the two top guys on top of the zone pick me up, but they didn't, so I fired," said Gaddis.  Gaddis lit up the second half and nailed four crucial three pointers.  "I had some family in the crowd, so it made the win a little more special," added Gaddis.

Lehigh Valley wasn't finished, as they went on a six point run, taking the lead 47-41 with a little under 13 minutes remaining in the game.  McKenna hit a pull up three and layups by Bristol and Williams gave Fayette a one point lead.  

The lead continued to change until the 3:46 mark, when Gaddis nailed the biggest of his four three pointers.  Another three by Jenkins and a bunch of free throws down the stretch by Williams, Bronder, and Gaddis sealed the deal for Fayette.  

"The way they keep battling back, never giving up, and always try to out-work our opponent shows what kind of resolve our guys have.  They really play for each other every night.  The all know that it's our Seniors' last games, and they're all keeping that in the back of their minds," said John.  John added, "Coach Ross and the Lehigh Valley staff run a classy operation.  From the facility in which they play to the way they treat their opponents with respect, they're a class act.  They play hard, and they play fair, and that's a reflection of their coaching staff."

McKenna commented "This weekend's games were some of the closest conference games we've had.  We really pulled together and found ways to win.  Today, Lehigh Valley was one of the best conference teams we've seen."

The Roaring Lions are back in action on February 7th, when they travel to Penn State Greater Allegheny.  Tipoff is slated for 3:00 PM, and the game will be broadcast on WMBS 590 AM.