Box Score

Millersville, Pa. - The Millersville men's basketball team held an eight point lead with 4:45 left in Saturday's PSAC Eastern Division match-up with Mansfield at Pucillo Gymnasium. The Mountaineers, however, quickly rallied and snatched a victory away from the Marauders by a 63-59 final.

Millersvillle (6-13, 0-6 PSAC East) and Mansfield (11-7, 4-2 PSAC East) traded the lead 10 times in the first half alone, but a 5-0 Marauder run sparked by a Palmer McDurfee 3-pointer and a Reggie Bates lay-up off a steal, gave the home team a 30-25 lead at the half.

Millersville continued to control the second, pushing the lead to as many as nine points on seven occassions. But Mansfield's Chris Pender buried a 3-pointer with 4:34 left in the half to cut the Millersville lead to 55-50. The Marauders came up empty on their next three possessions, and Mansfield took advantage, using back-to-back three-point plays by Useff Carr and Tony Fannick to take the lead 56-55.

McDurfee answered with a driving lay-up, but Fannick came right back with a jumper of his own, retaking the lead for Mansfield. On Millersville's next trip, Brandon Widener missed his first attempt but the athletic freshman grabbed his own rebound and put it right back for two points and a Millersville 59-58 lead.

Mansfield, however, got a layup from Carr 17 seconds later and Millersville could not connect on its final two trips. Mansfield cushioned the lead with free throws.

It was a bitter defeat for the Marauders, who have dropped seven in a row and six-straight to start conference play. Mansfield, meanwhile, pushed its winning streak to three.

Mansfield, which shot just 32.1 percent in the first half, connected on 47.8 percent of its shots in the second period, while the Marauders dropped from 50 percent in the first to 38.5 percent in the second.

Bates and Makal Stibbins led the Marauders with 16 points apiece, and Stibbins also added seven rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals. Widener chipped in 12 points and four rebounds. Jason Blake also added six points to go with a team-high five assists.

The Marauders will look to get back on track Wednesday at East Stroudsburg. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. The broadcast can be heard on MSBN.