WASHINGTON, D.C. – Penn College erased a 20-point first half deficit to tie the game late in the second half before falling 78-71 to Gallaudet in North Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball game Saturday. The Wildcats dropped to 2-7 overall, 0-4 NEAC, while the Bison improved to 7-3, 5-0.

 Ben Sosa and Erik Eichinger led Penn College with 19 points each, while Marquis Delgado finished with 12. Thomas Ross pulled down a team-best seven rebounds.

Joshua McGriff scored a game-high 21 points for Gallaudet, while Raymond Nelson and Andy Cruz each added 15 and Noah Valencia finished with 11.

Following a 41-23 halftime deficit Penn College slowly chipped away in the second half to make it a competitive finish.

The Wildcats opened the final half with a 16-3 scoring run to get within five, 44-39, after Sosa finished off a fastbreak with a layup with 14:23 left in the contest. The Bison answered by leading by as many as 14, 57-43, at 10:39 before Penn College pulled within five, twice, the first on Ross' layup at 6:33 and the second on an Eichinger layup at 5:46.

Trailing 70-65 with 2:07 on the clock, Penn College evened the game at 70-70 after a trey from Delgado and layup from Sosa with 1:19 to play. Gallaudet closed out the game with an 8-1 run to secure the win.

Penn College returns to the court Sunday, 2 p.m., at Wilson College.