EXPRESS CRUISE PAST NITTANY LIONS

(Aurora, N.Y.)─ The Wells College men's basketball led by 20 points after the first half and never looked back en route to an 89-76 victory over the Penn. St. Berks Nittany Lions in North Eastern Athletic Conference action Sunday afternoon in Aurora. Benito Perez (Crystal City, Texas/Crystal City) led the Express with a game high 20 points. Nathaniel Weldon (Philadelphia, Pa./Cimarron-Memorail) led Berks with 19 points and 22 rebounds. The Express improve to a conference leading 12-4 (13-10 overall), while the Nittany Lions fall to 8-15 (8-9 NEAC).
 
Mabior Mayen (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) paced the Express with 18 points, 18 rebounds, and five blocks, while Terry Harrison (Brooklyn, N.Y./Forest Hills) finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Dave Foltz (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) chipped in with 16 points and seven assists from the point.
 
For the Nittany Lions, Tore Turner (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore City) added 19 points, while teammate Thomas Smith (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds.
 
The Express trailed early in the game (9-6) but the it would be a lead short lived by Berks as the Express would explode from the floor (19-39) in the half, entering halftime up 51-31.
 
Wells stretched their lead to 23 points in the second half but the Nittany Lions would hang around, cutting the lead to nine (77-68) with just over five minutes to play. Despite the comeback from Berks, the Express stayed calm as Perez drilled two 3-pointers late, extending the Wells lead to 14 points with less than a minute to play.
 
The Express return to action on Feb. 19 against NEAC opponent Penn. St. Harrisburg with the game set to tip at 3 p.m. in Harrisburg, Pa.