Lock Haven Men’s Basketball lost heartbreakingly, falling to East Stroudsburg 80-76.
LOCK HAVEN — It is that time of the year in college basketball where every game matters, as with the season wrapping up, every win and every loss could drastically change every team’s future. That was certainly the case for the Lock Haven Bald Eagles, as they played host to the East Stroudsburg Warriors on Wednesday, February 18th. Coming into the game, both sides had a lot on the line. For the Haven, they came in just one game ahead of Bloomsburg as the No. 6 seed in the PSAC East standings, which is the last seed to make the PSAC tournament. Meanwhile, for East Stroudsburg, they sat just a game behind the No. 1-seeded West Chester Golden Rams. For the Bald Eagles, a win meant keeping playoff hopes alive, and for ESU, a road victory put them one step closer to the PSAC East crown.
In a game of heightened pressure, it was yet another close game, and another gut-wrenching defeat for the Bald Eagles, who found themselves down double digits multiple times, but their comeback bid fell just short in an 80-76 defeat.
The Bald Eagles got off to a slow start, falling behind 26-11 early on as the Warriors seemed destined to repeat the 76-47 beatdown they handed the Haven back on January 21st. But in the early stages, it was star Freshman Luke Kennevan who kept the Bald Eagles within striking distance, knocking down a few early jumpers as the Haven worked to cut into the 15-point deficit.
They would cut the lead down to just six by the end of the first half, but the difference in three-point shooting and rebounding proved a serious concern. ESU outshot Lock Haven eight to three from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes, and out-rebounded them 23-14 while shooting over 40% from the field and from three.
Despite the odds being stacked against them, the Bald Eagles never bowed out of the fight, in the second half slowly clawing back before another Warriors run had them again trailing by double digits with 11 minutes left in the second half. But yet again Lock Haven would not go away, clutch three’s and timely defensive stops proving vital as the lead got cut all the way down to just three with under a minute to go.
After some back-and-forth scoring, the Haven had their opportunity, down 78-76 with 10.2 left, a missed ESU free throw after an intentional foul left the door open. After getting the rebound, Bald Eagles guard Dean Coleman-Newsome advanced quickly up court, driving to the basket before having his shot partially blocked right at the rim in what ended up being the final possession of the game for Lock Haven. Notably, the Bald Eagles did have a timeout available, but much like their similarly heartbreaking loss to Bloomsburg, they opted not to take it on the final shot.
Despite the loss, there were a few major positive takeaways from the Haven side, as once again the team that had every reason to roll over and accept their fate, fought to the very end and nearly stole a victory, a theme throughout the entire season and a testament to the sheer will this group has.
“We played tough.” Lock Haven head coach Mike Nestor said after the game. “We just didn’t make enough plays to win. I think as the game went on, offensively, we just didn’t score the ball late. And more importantly, we have up too many offensive rebounds those last four or five minutes.”
Another big positive was the performance of Kennevan, as the Freshman ended the game with a career high 23 points on 9-14 from the field and 5-7 from three. It seems with every game his confidence has grown more and more, with the Haven offence being at times, completely tailored around his play.
“He plays hard every possession,” Nestor highlighted after the game when asked about Kennevan’s performance. “ Plays hard in practice, plays physical, always has a little extra when we need it. He’s doing a very good job as a freshman for sure.”
Alongside Kenneva, the Haven saw good performances from forward Dylan Scott, who ended his day with a 14 and 11 double-double, and Blake Degan, who ended with 10 points.
Meanwhile, on the East Stroudsburg side, it was guard Ethan Maynard stealing the show, scoring 20 points on four made threes. As a team, the ESU offense was as efficient as you can be, shooting over 47% from the field and 38% from three.
Despite the loss, Lock Haven’s playoff hopes are not yet dashed, as a Bloomsburg loss on Wednesday means they still are a game ahead. The Haven will hope to get back in the win column on Saturday, but it will be a tall task as they travel on the road to take on the No.1 seed West Chester Golden Rams on February 21st with a projected 3 P.M. tip-off.
Ryan States is in his 3rd year at Lock Haven University, and his second with the Eagle Eye. He is a Journalism major with intentions to minor in Sports Management. With his never-ending passion for all things sports, he wishes to pursue a career as a sports writer for a major outlet. When not watching sports, he can be found playing video games, hanging out with friends at the REC. Or you can find him helping out in the booth during LHU sporting events. His biggest hope while at Lock Haven is to be able to positively contribute to LHU sports in any way he can.
