Albright 86, Lebanon Valley 76
 
LVC Starters
Light, Bugg, Anderson, Orr, Boccanfuso
 
Albright Starters
Lindsay, Rowles, Dancy, Smith, Oplinger
 
How It Happened
Lebanon Valley made a big run late in the second half but the team's comeback rally came up short in an 86-76 loss to longtime rival Albright at Sorrentino Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 3.
 
Chris Anderson played one of the best games of his career and led the way with a team-high 20 points. Andy Orr secured another double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Sam Light nearly matched his teammate thanks to finishing with 18 tallies and eight boards.
 
What had been a close game got away from the Flying Dutchmen (14-8, 8-5 MAC Commonwealth) midway through the second half. Facing an 18-point deficit with less than eight minutes remaining, LVC scrapped back into it thanks to the stellar play of Anderson down the stretch.
 
During a 15-3 spurt in the final minutes of the game, Anderson was responsible for seven points and an assist. A couple of Collin Moore mid-range jumpers and a pretty 3-point play by Jordan Abdo drew the Dutchmen to within six at 77-71 with 3:24 to play.
 
After the Lions added a pair of free throws a few possessions later, Moore answered back with two foul shots of his own. Unfortunately, that's as close as Lebanon Valley would get before Albright pushed the advantage back to 10 with less than a minute remaining thanks to consecutive layups.
 
LVC trailed 40-39 after 20 minutes of well-played basketball in the first half. Both squads traded leads, with none larger than five on either side. Light and Orr had the hot hand for the Dutchmen, with the guard netting 15 on 5-8 shooting and the big man adding nine by going 4-5. Brandon Lindsay led the way for the visitors and converted all four of his first-half 3-point attempts.
 
Inside the Numbers
- After shooting a strong 51.7 percent from the field in the first half, LVC managed just a 36.7 percent rate after the break.
- The Dutchmen particularly struggled from distance and finished 3-18 (16 percent) from beyond the arc.
- Both teams were solid at the foul line and shot better than 80 percent as a whole.
- Lebanon Valley edged out the Lions in the rebounding department at 39-38.
- The LVC reserves outscored the Albright bench 19-16.
- Chris Anderson turned in an outstanding performance that saw him score a team-high 20 points on 8-13 shooting.
- Despite a rough shooting night, Andy Orr posted his 10th double-double of the season. He finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks.
- Sam Light had a strong first half and finished with 18 points, eight boards, and four assists.
- Collin Moore was solid off the bench, tallying nine points on 50 percent shooting.
- Luke Stambaugh chipped in with five points, while Will Boccanfuso had three tallies, six rebounds, and a pair of rejections.
- DeJuan Smith recorded a double-double for Albright with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
- Brandon Lindsay netted a game-high 27 points for the Lions.
 
Playoff Picture
Despite the loss, Lebanon Valley sits third in the MAC Commonwealth standings with three games to play. They trail Lycoming and Albright in the rankings and hold a half-game advantage over both Messiah and Arcadia.
 
Make-A-Wish Game
Prior to Saturday's game, LVC welcomed soon-to-be 3-year old wish child Aramya Riley and her family to Sorrentino Gymansium. The Steelton, Pa. native was presented with a one-of-a-kind Make-A-Wish jersey and a number of gifts by the men's basketball team, the school's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and the cheerleading squad. Finally, the crowd on hand revealed that Aramya's wish to go to Disney would be coming true. Collin Moore read the Make-A-Wish proclamation and all proceeds from the team's jersey auction and game day donations went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

   

Hot Dog Frank Day
One of the great traditions in LVC athletics is Hot Dog Frank Day, held annually on a Saturday in February during a basketball doubleheader. Named in honor of late Annville businessman and LVC supporter Frank Aftosmes, Hot Dog Frank Day is popular among fans, who receive free hot dogs during the game. The athletic department also honors an individual at halftime of the men's game with the Hot Dog Frank Athletic Service Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to LVC Athletics with the same enthusiasm that Aftosmes had. Susan Sarisky Jones '92 and Jim Jones were presented with the 2018 Hot Dog Frank Athletic Service Award by LVC president Dr. Lewis Thayne and a number of past Hot Dog Frank Award winners joined the Joneses at mid-court during the ceremony. 

Who's Next?
The Dutchmen return to action when they travel to Arcadia on Wednesday night, Feb. 7.

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