Men's Baskeball

Penn State-Harrisburg 115, Delaware Valley College 109 (2 OT)

MIDDLETOWN (PA) - Delaware Valley College freshmen Matt Beichey and Raheem Wiggins scored 25 points apiece and combined for 23 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Penn State-Harrisburg outlasted the visiting Aggies, 115-109, in double overtime.

The Lions won their first game of the season as they improved to 1-3 while Delaware Valley saw its record fall to 0-4.

The wild contest featured 16 ties and 15 lead changes. The teams combined for 24, 3-pointers with each squad shooting better than 45 percent (Delaware Valley 45.8%, Penn State-Harrisburg (48.1%) from beyond the arc.

Beichey, a 6-foot-6 forward/center, shot 10-for-17 from the field and was 4-for-7 from the foul line for a career scoring performance. He also grabbed 10 boards, stole two passes and blocked two shots before fouling out early in the second overtime.

Wiggins, a 6-foot-4 forward, came off the bench and posted career highs in points and rebounds. He was 11-for-19 from the field, 3-for-5 from the foul line and grabbed 13 boards in 28 minutes of action.

However, it was the Lion backcourt tandem of Abe Hitz and Seth Lewis that stole the show. Hitz connected on six treys and finished with 43 points in 45 minutes of action. Lewis got the job done from the foul line as he went 14-for-16 and finished with 31 points in 45 minutes of play.

The game was tied at 79-79 at the end of regulation. Penn State-Harrisburg led by as many as 10 in regulation, but the Aggies rallied and took a six-point lead of their own on three separate occasions. Down two in the closing moments, Lewis evened up the contest for the Lions with 41 seconds to go. Then, following a Delaware Valley turnover, Hitz missed a chance to win the game at the buzzer.

In the first overtime, the Lions built a 91-87 advantage with 24 seconds remaining. Beichey's basket with 14 ticks to go made it a one-possession game. Hitz was able to hit one free throw with 16 seconds left, but Delaware Valley's Jason Seipt hit a layup eight seconds later for a 92-91 game. Lewis was fouled and made just one free throw. Beichey then forced a second overtime as he hit a layup with just four seconds remaining.

Delaware Valley opened the scoring in the second overtime as Seipt connected on a 3-pointer for 96-93 advantage. However, that was the last lead the Aggies would enjoy as Penn State-Harrisburg quickly tied the game with a trey of its own. Two more ties took place before the Lions took the lead for good at 102-100 on a Lewis putback with 2:23 remaining.

The Lions build their advantage to six, 111-105, with 44 seconds to go. Seipt's layup seven seconds later made it a four-point ballgame, but Lewis hit four straight free throws to finally seal the contest.

Seipt, a junior guard, finished with career highs of 20 points and 13 assists for Delaware Valley. Senior forward Zack Van Dyke hit four treys, en route to an 18-point showing while junior guard Bill Gelsomini tied a career mark with 14 points.