WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Penn College outpaced Penn State Mont Alto, 87-82, to earn its first victory of the season in a men's basketball nonconference game Tuesday evening inside Bardo Gym. The Wildcats improve to 1-6 while the Lions dropped to 5-2.

How it happened: In a game that featured 12 lead changes and nine ties, neither team could pull away by more than nine points, but it did not faze the Wildcats that kept its distance when it mattered. A Cydae Joseph-Davis bucket with 10:43 to go in the second half put the Wildcats up for good, 62-61, and sparked a 13-2 run as Jennsyn Shuey, Ethan Roman and Peyton Murphy all knocked down a triple and Colby Bost put in a layup during the five minute run. 

Mont Alto pulled within three, 82-79, with just 26 seconds left, but Octavio Alexander closed out the game with the final five points on a old-fashioned three-point play and a pair of free throws.

Nine different Wildcats scored in the opening 20 minutes to lead 39-36 at the half. 

Inside the box: Alexander led the offense with 17 points, five rebounds and two steals. Landon Reeder poured in 15 points while Roman and Shuey dropped in 10 each. Jay Henry spread the ball around with a team-high seven assists in the victory. Penn College got contributions from 11 different scorers who combined to shoot 54% (34-63) and drain 10 3s as the defense forced 18 turnovers.

Up next: Penn College opens United East action next Wednesday, Dec. 3 against Penn State Abington at 5 p.m.