DOMINANT SECOND HALF LEADS WELLS PAST ABINGTON

(Aurora, N.Y.)─ The Wells College men's basketball team battled back from a four-point first half deficit to rout the visiting Penn. St. Abington Nittany Lions 80-58 in North Eastern Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon in Aurora. The Express outscored the Nittany Lions 57-31 in the second half. With the victory Wells (12-10, 11-4 NEAC) moves back into first place in the conference, while the loss drops Abington to 2-21 (1-15 NEAC).  
 
Terry Harrison (Brooklyn, N.Y./Forest Hills) led the Express with 23 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists. Mabior Mayen (Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham) added 17 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks, while Benito Perez (Crystal City, Texas/Crystal City) chipped in with 18 points, including four of eight from behind the arc.
 
William Alton (Hopewell Valley, N.J./Hopewell Valley) led the Nittany Lions with a game high 27 points, while Mike Colacci (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) added nine points and a team high 11 rebounds.
 
After a dismal first half (36 percent shooting, 15 turnovers) the Express turned things around in the second, finishing 58 percent from the floor, including six of 13 from behind the arc and 11 of 16 from the charity stripe. The Nittany Lions were less fortunate, finishing the game a lowly 26.8 percent from the floor and hitting on just six of 34 shots from behind the arc.
 
The Express were their own worst enemy in the first half, allowing the Nittany Lions to hang around despite their shooting just 22 percent in the half. Despite their low shooting, the Nittany Lions led by as many as seven points in the half before holding on to a four-point lead (27-23) heading into the break.
 
It would be a different Express team in the second half as they would come out and quickly score six straight points to take the lead (29-27). The Nittany Lions came back and tied the game at 29 but that would be the last time Abington even came close to taking a lead as the Express opened up a 14 point lead midway through the half and never looked back, cruising to their conference leading 11th victory.
 
The Express return to action on Sunday afternoon against NEAC opponent Penn. St. Berks with the game set to tip at 3 p.m. in Aurora.