Millersville, Pa. - 48 hours earlier, the Millersville men's basketball team scored a hard-fought, down-to-the-wire win at Kutztown, and it was evident early Wednesday against Lock Haven that the Marauders had some lingering exhaustion. The Marauders trailed at the half and led just 35-34 with a little more than 14 minutes to play. But that's when they found some energy in reserve, hit the rocket boosters and pulled away for a convincing 78-59 win.

From the 14-minute mark to the 8:03 mark, the Marauders ripped off a 22-5 run in which they held Lock Haven to 0-of-4 shooting and six turnovers. The Marauders outscored the Bald Eagles 43-25 over the final 14 minutes, hitting 15-of-23 shots and totaling six steals in that span.

"I was worried about [a slow start]," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "I thought the first half could have been a little shaky, having played such a energy-driven game on Monday. It was a good sign that we were able to get out of it tonight but we have to start better. It's tough to play two games in 48 hours."

On a night when the offense wasn't quite there (28 points on 36.4 percent shooting in the first half), the defense definitely was. The Marauders held Lock Haven to 36.2 percent shooting and turned 15 turnovers into 22 points. Lock Haven managed just 29 points in the second half.

"We are a defensive team," said Stitzel. "When we are good, we are playing good defense, getting stops, first rebounds, steals and getting out in transition. That makes us successful."

Caden Najdawi, coming off a 24 point outing at Kutztown, delivered his third double-double in the last four games with 23 points and a career-high 16 rebounds--the most by a Marauder since Anthony Moe's 18 in 2015. Najdawi was a aggressive from the start, taking 15 of the team's 33 first-half shots. He scored eight points in the final 14 minutes.

The win extended the Marauders' winning streak to four--their longest since January of 2015. At 10 wins in 17 games, the Marauders have already matched last season's win total.

"It feels good (to win four in a row)," said Stitzel. "The guys are getting better. They are understanding what it takes to win. We have a long way to go but it's good momentum. Hopefully we keep getting better and play our best basketball in the next month."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• After shooting 1-of-9 from three in the first half, the Marauders made 4-of-10 in the second while shooting 59.4 percent in the final 20 minutes.
• Jaden Faulkner made 5-of-6 shots from the field and 5-of-7 free throws for 15 points and five assists. It was the eight time in nine games that the freshman has totaled at least 15 points and four assists.
• Marcus Adkison scored 11 points and added seven rebounds.

NOTES
• Millersville totaled 43 rebounds, improving to 4-0 when totaling 40 or more.
• Millersville recorded double-digit steals for the 10th time this season with 11.
• Millersville has won four in a row over Lock Haven, and Wednesday's 19-point win was its widest margin of victory since 2015.

QUOTABLE
"(Najdawi) was unbelievable against Kutztown. I don't know if Caden knows how good he can be. When he plays like that he is one of the best big guys in the league. Defensively he changed some shots and got a ton of rebounds. When he attacks the glass and gives an inside presense like that we are tough to guard." - Casey Stitzel

UP NEXT
• Millersville returns to Pucillo Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 26 for a rare January crossover with PSAC West team Gannon. Tip is set for 3 p.m.
 

---

FOLLOW THE MARAUDERS
• Be the first to know what's going on with the Marauders -- Follow @VilleMarauders on Twitter and Instagram, become a fan of Millersville Athletics on Facebook, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To support the Marauders, join the Black & Gold Club.