READING, Pa. – Ryan Harder had 23 points to lead four Lebanon Valley Men's Basketball scorers in double figures in a hard-fought 95-88 defeat at Albright College on Wednesday evening at the Bollman Center in Reading.
 
The Dutchmen (5-1) had a season-high 88 points and shot a season-best 54.4 percent from the field, but Albright (3-3) used 14 three-pointers including nine in the first half to earn the victory on their home court. The Lions scored first with a layup after misses by both teams on their first offensive possessions of the game. LVC came right back down the court and Kyle Tang found Harder open for his first three of the game. Albright then sandwiched a Timochenko bucket in the paint with a pair of threes to take an 8-5 advantage. The lead grew to five before Harder and Timochenko made jumpers. Albright responded with two more threes and Timochenko made another bucket to make it 16-11 with 14 minutes to go in the first half. Tang and Timochenko scored on layups, but each time Albright answered with a three at the other end to increase their advantage to 22-15. The Lions were able to get out into transition off a missed jumper to get a fastbreak layup and then took a 26-11 lead with a bucket in the paint after a stop.
 
Wil Laskowski stopped the run with a driving layup while being fouled and made the free throw. The Lions got the lead back up to 12 before LVC used a big run to cut the deficit down to four. Jason Penn started the run with an old fashioned three-point play. Harder and Evan Smith then knocked down back-to-back threes off assists from Tang to make it 31-27 with just under eight minutes to play in the half. The Lions used another made three and a transition bucket to get the lead back up to nine. Timochenko scored off a nice pass downlow by Tang and then Tang made a pair of free throws to make it 38-33. Albright scored the next six points to go up by 11. Harder got it back down to single digits with a layup while being fouled. He converted the shot at the line before Albright scored at the other end. Tyler Kerlin had a pair of buckets to cut it to six with a little over two minutes to play. The first-year got the Dutchmen within four with a pair of free throws with 14 seconds before the Lions ended the half with a three to go up 51-44.
 
Albright started the second half on a 9-2 run over the first three minutes to take a 14-point lead. The Lions continued the run with a layup and three-pointer to take the largest lead of the game at 65-46. Penn ended the run with a three-pointer, a layup, and two made free throws to get the deficit back down to 12 with 13 minutes left. After a bucket by the Lions, Harder cut the lead to 11 with a three-point play and then Penn scored on a jumper in the paint. Albright responded with a three-pointer that Kerlin answered right back at the other end of the floor.
 
The Lions used the next couple of minutes to increase the lead back up to 13 at 76-63. Lebanon Valley came right back with a 7-0 run. Timochenko started the run with a layup. Harder knocked down a pair of free throws and then after a missed layup at the other end, Harder hit a three on the left wing. The Lions used a pair of threes and a layup to get the lead back to double digits at 84-73 with three minutes to go. Albright managed to get the lead up to 14 before LVC used a late rally in the final two minutes to get the advantage down into single digits.
 
Inside the Box

• Harder finished with 23 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. He was 7-15 from the floor including 3-6 on three-pointers. The senior knocked down all six of his free throw attempts.
• Penn was perfect from the floor and ended with 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists. The guard was 6-6 on field goals including 2-2 from beyond the arc and 3-3 at the line.
• Timochenko had 16 points and nine rebounds. He was 8-13 from the field and grabbed two offensive boards.
• Tang was the fourth scorer in double figures with 15 points. He also had six assists and five rebounds.
• Kerlin finished with nine points while Tyson Hofsass had three rebounds.
• LVC shot 57.7 percent in the second half after shooting 51.6 percent in the first. The Dutchmen were 19-24 at the line for a season-high 79.2 percent.
• The Dutchmen had a 36-31 rebounding advantage and blocked a season-high six shots.

Up Next
LVC returns to Sorrentino Gymnasium for their next game on Saturday when they welcome Stevenson University to Annville. Tip-off against the Mustangs is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
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