ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley men's basketball team had four scorers in double figures, led by Reed Melvin with 21, in a heartbreaking 92-89 defeat at Elizabethtown on Tuesday evening at Thompson Gymnasium in Elizabethtown.
 
The Dutchmen (2-3) led for most of the game and by as many as 13 in the second half, before a surge by the Blue Jays (5-1) closed the gap. The hosts took the lead on a steal and layup with 27 seconds left. LVC fought valiantly to retake the lead but was unable to get the bucket they needed.
 
Tyler Kerlin scored the first basket of the game as Karson Pavlik found him in transition. Elizabethtown answered at the other end before Melvin outscored the Blue Jays 7-4 to give the Dutchmen a 9-6 lead. Melvin knocked down a pull-up jumper, a putback on an offensive rebound, and then nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key. The Blue Jays cut the lead to one before the teams locked down on defense for a two-minute stretch without a score.
 
Jason Penn knocked down a jumper with just under 15 minutes to play in the half. Elizabethtown responded with a bucket. Phil Unangst pushed the lead to four on a traditional three-point play before Penn hit a three-pointer on the left wing off an assist by Michael Main. LVC grew the lead to 12 as Demarcus Bandy scored on a layup, and then Giovanni Sejuste took the ball to the rim for a layup while being fouled. He then sank the shot at the line. A couple of possessions later, Kerlin hit a three-pointer in the corner to add to the advantage.
 
Elizabethtown ended its scoreless run with a pair of free throws. Bandy scored on a pull-up jumper, stole the ball in the backcourt, and threw home a dunk to give the Dutchmen their largest lead of the game at 29-12 with 10:55 on the clock. The Blue Jays scored the next five points to cut the deficit to 12. Kyle Tang found Sejuste cutting to the hoop for a layup, and Etown answered at the other end. Bandy scored on another fastbreak off an assist from Tang to make it a 14-point advantage. After a pair of made free throws from Unangst, the Blue Jays hit a pair of threes to cut the advantage to nine. The lead was still nine when Elizabethtown scored back-to-back layups with four minutes left. Tang knocked down two shots at the line, and then Melvin hit a jumper to push the lead back to nine. Etown answered with a bucket, and LVC countered with a Tang three-pointer on the right wing. Melvin then knocked down another three-pointer with 33 seconds on the clock to make it 55-42. Etown made one of two free throws to end the half.
 
Elizabethtown began the second half with a pair of layups that sandwiched a Penn three-pointer. Penn hit another jumper to make it a 13-point game with just under 18 minutes to play. Elizabethtown scored the next four points, and Bandy stopped the run with a jumper. The teams each made a free throw before a three-pointer and two layups cut the deficit to four at 63-59 with 12:45 on the clock.
 
Tang made a layup and added a traditional three-point play after a Blue Jays three-pointer to keep the advantage at six. The lead was five when Bandy scored on a driving layup with just under nine to play in the game. Etown got the deficit down to three on a layup and two made shots at the line before Bandy tipped in an offensive rebound. The teams traded scores, and after another Bandy tip-in with a little under five minutes to play, LVC led 79-73.
 
The Blue Jays cut it to two on a pair of jumpers. Sejuste hit a jumper while being fouled and made the shot at the line. The lead was still five after a Penn bucket with 2:47 left. The Blue Jays answered with a three-point play and then knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 84 with 1:48 remaining. Tang drove to the rim and was fouled as his layup went through the net. The senior made his shot at the line to make it 87-84. Etown answered with a layup at the other end. They were able to get a steal and a fastbreak bucket to take the lead. LVC had a look at the rim with five seconds left, but a Melvin shot rolled off the rim. The teams traded shots at the line to set the final score.
 
Inside the Box

• Melvin scored over 20 points for the second time this year with a team-high 21 points. He shot 50% from the field, made two three-pointers, and knocked down five of six shots at the line. The first-year added four rebounds, an assist, and one steal.
• Bandy had another strong game with 18 points for the second consecutive game. He was 8-for-11 from the field, including a dunk and hit both his free throws. Bandy pulled down five rebounds, dished out two assists, and recorded two steals.
• Tang scored 17 points, had five assists, and pulled down three rebounds. It is his second straight game of scoring at least 10 points and dishing out at least five assists.
• Penn was the fourth scorer in double figures for the Dutchmen with 12 points in 19 minutes. The sophomore shot 5-7 from the field and knocked down both three-point attempts.
• Unangst was just shy of a double-double with eight points and seven rebounds. Six of his points came from the free throw line.
• Sejuste also scored eight points and pulled down four rebounds.
• Kerlin finished with five points and one rebound.
• The Dutchmen shot a season-high 53.6 % and scored 89 points for the second consecutive game. They knocked down six three-pointers and were 23-26 at the line.
• LVC scored 32 points in the paint and had 16 points off 12 Elizabethtown turnovers.

Up Next
Lebanon Valley will be back in action next Wednesday, Dec. 3, as the Dutchmen take on former MAC Commonwealth rival, Albright College, at Sorrentino Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. against the Lions.

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