WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Hosting United East co-leader Lancaster Bible College on Tuesday, the Penn College men's basketball team gave it all it could handle in a 78-73 setback to the Chargers. Penn College fell to 5-17 overall, 5-10 United East, while LBC improved to Lancaster to 18-6, 14-1.
 
How it happened: The first half was close throughout as Penn College took a quick 4-0 lead after layups by Chris Coyne and Obens Luxama to start the game. Lancaster Bible fought back for its first lead at 9-8 with 14:20 showing on the clock. The visiting Crusaders then opened leads of seven points twice, at 25-18 and 27-20 with 5:55 left, before an eight-point run put Penn College back on top. It was nip-and-tuck over the last 1:12, with Lancaster Bible edging ahead 32-30 at the intermission.
 
The Crusaders went ahead by four early in the second half before Penn College knotted the score at 36 and then, after some back-and-forth, went on a 21-12 roll to lead 53-48 with 14:45 left after a layup by Rees Watkins. The Wildcats led by nine for the first time at 61-52 on a Gavin Barrett layup with 9:37 to play and again at 63-54 before a flurry of missed shots allowed Lancaster Bible to regain control with an 11-0 run. Coyne 3-pointers helped Penn College go back on top twice over the last 5:07, the last time at 71-70 with 1:59 on the clock, before the Crusaders closed with an 8-2 run and pulled out their win.
 
Inside the box: Coyne led Penn College with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Barrett scored 15 points and Luxama tallied 13 points.
 
Jordan Shewbridge topped Lancaster Bible with 19 points and Grant Sareyka scored 18.
 
Up next: Penn College closes out its season at Morrisville State College in a UE game at 1 p.m. on Saturday.