OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Reed Melvin and
Luke Chilton each scored in double figures to pace the Lebanon Valley men's basketball team on Tuesday evening as the Dutchmen dropped a 72-54 decision at Stevenson University. The host Mustangs outscored the Dutchmen 35-21 in the second half to break open a close game.
Stevenson controlled the opening tip and scored on the first possession with a quick putback on a missed layup.
Kyle Tang tied the game at the other end with a pull-up jumper in the paint.
Karson Pavlik hit back-to-back jumpers to give LVC a 6-2 lead three minutes into the game. The teams traded defensive stops leading up to the first media timeout. Melvin scored his first points of the evening with a power move to the basket while being fouled. He sank his shot at the line to extend the lead to seven. The Mustangs stopped the run with a layup. After a couple of defensive stops, Melvin stepped in front of a pass around midcourt and cruised to the rim for a fastbreak layup. A pair of buckets by the Mustangs cut the lead to 11-8 with 12 minutes left in the half.
Demarcus Bandy knocked down a jumper on the left wing off an assist from
Giovanni Sejuste to give LVC a 13-8 lead heading into the second media timeout.
Stevenson knocked down a three to make it a one-possession game. Pavlik found Bandy streaking to the rim for a layup before the Mustangs scored the next six points to take a 17-15 lead. Chilton scored his first points with a layup to tie the game. Stevenson scored on a tip-in bucket, and Chilton knocked down a jumper. The hosts answered with a driving layup.
Gannon Perlini knocked down a three to put the Dutchmen back up by one with 5:30 on the clock. Stevenson countered with a three-pointer at the other end, and after two made shots at the line, the Mustangs led by four. The teams traded free throws coming out of the final media timeout of the half.
Michael Main knocked down a jumper, and Chilton scored in the paint to keep LVC within two. The Mustangs scored four points in a minute to take a 34-28 lead with a minute left.
Jason Penn found Chilton down low off an inbound pass, and then Penn knocked down a three to cut the deficit to one. The Mustangs answered with a three right before the half ended to go into the locker room with a four-point advantage.
The Mustangs scored first to begin the second half. Pavlik and
Tyler Kerlin scored a pair of layups to get the Dutchmen within two at 39-37. Stevenson sandwiched a Melvin bucket with two scores to take a four-point advantage into the first media timeout of the second half. Penn knocked down a jumper out of the break. Stevenson scored the only bucket over the next four minutes to go up 45-41 with 11:39 remaining at the second media timeout of the half. Stevenson hit a pair of three-pointers and a layup over the next two minutes to take a 12-point lead. Their run continued with a tip-in with 7:23 on the clock. Melvin hit a jumper, and then Tang scored on a driving layup to make it 57-45. Sejuste put back a miss to get the Dutchmen within 10 as SU called a timeout with just under six minutes to play.
The Mustangs came out of the timeout and hit back-to-back three-pointers to grow the lead to 16. Melvin scored on a layup, and Chilton knocked down a pair of free throws with three minutes left to keep the deficit at 14. A 5-0 run gave the Mustangs their largest lead of the night at 19 points before Main knocked down a three with a minute remaining. Stevenson scored with 10 seconds left to set the final score.
Inside the Box
- Melvin scored a team-high 11 points on 5-11 shooting from the field and 1-1 at the line. The first-year also grabbed four defensive rebounds.
- Chilton had 10 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. The junior was 4-8 from the field and grabbed three rebounds on the offensive glass.
- Pavlik was 3-5 from the field for six points. The senior also grabbed four defensive rebounds. He also dished out a team-high three assists.
- Penn and Main had five points each. Penn had four rebounds and two assists.
- Tang finished with four points, two steals, and an assist.
- Kerlin and Bandy added four points each, while Perlini scored three. Sejuste had two points and four rebounds.
- The Dutchmen shot 50 percent in the first half and finished the game with a 41.8 shooting percentage.
- LVC had 28 points in the paint and eight points off 13 Stevenson turnovers.
Up Next
The Dutchmen will return to action in eight days with the home opener against Cairn University on Wednesday, Nov. 19. Tip-off against the Highlanders is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Sorrentino Gymnasium in Annville.
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