WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Gavin Barrett tallied a team-high 21 points and dished out 14 assists to lead the Penn College men's basketball team against King's on Wednesday night. The Monarchs came away with a high-scoring 100-94 final, dropping the Wildcats to 4-7 while improving to 8-2.

How it happened: King's rolled out to a 7-0 lead after the opening whistle before Ahmir Ellzy's second-chance jay put Penn College on the board. The Monarchs held a steady lead over the first 12 minutes until an 8-0 run by the Wildcats closed the gap as DJ Smith III's layup tied the game at 31 with 8:05 to go in the half. Livingston Cross gave the 'Cats their first lead of the night two minutes later with a layup. The two sides exchanged blows in the final five minutes before a Max Jackowsky trey and a Michael Woolridge layup, both assisted by Barrett, gave the Wildcats the 50-46 lead at the break.

King's used a 20-10 run across the first six minutes of the second half to wrangle the lead back. The Wildcats didn't back down as Barrett and Ronn Flood, Jr., layups pulled the Wildcats within five (69-64) at just under 13 minutes left. The Monarchs reached its largest lead of the game at 87-77 at the 2:20 mark, but a Barrett layup and a pair of free throws got Penn College within eight (87-79) just 10 seconds later. King's closed out the game by converting 9-of-12 free throws down the stretch.

Inside the box: Cross nearly recorded a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds and Flood, Jr., joined Barrett and Cross in double figures, finishing with 13. Ellzy and Michael Woolridge both finished with nine as the Wildcats shot 48.5% (33-68) in the game. 

Four Monarchs reached double-digits as the team was led by a 30-point effort from Carmine Castiello.

Up next: Penn College has a two-week break to prepare for Juniata in the first round of the Doc Greene Tournament on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.