Box Score
LANGHORNE, PA – In a forty minute basketball game, it’s no secret playing for thirty minutes simply won’t get the job done.
A 10 minute stretch during the back end of the first half that saw visiting Eastern College outscore the Crimson Eagles 33-3 was the ultimate deal-breaker in PBU’s season opener late Saturday night. Unable to overcome a massive halftime deficit, the Crimson Eagles eventually fell to the local rival by a 78-54 count.
“That stretch killed us,” said interim head coach Jared Yoder regarding the last 10 minutes of the opening stanza. “Our defensive intensity slipped a little bit during that span and Eastern, in turn, began forcing us to do things we didn’t want to do offensively.”
Despite outscoring the Eagles 33-28 during the back end of play, PBU’s drought late in the first half put the team in a 50-21 hole to enter the break.
After securing what ended up being the host squad’s second and final lead of the game at 18-17, Eastern’s pressure and smooth flowing offense soon took over, forcing the Crimson Eagles into 11 first half turnovers while shooting at nearly a 60 percent clip through the first 20 minutes.
Although PBU managed to limit Eastern to nine for 23 shooting during the back end of play, the visitor’s 31-11 edge in points off 24 PBU turnovers for the game was more than enough to counter the Eagles’ drop in offensive efficiency over the final 20 minutes.
The Crimson Eagles would get as close as 19 midway through the second period but couldn’t cut the gap any further in their first meeting with Eastern in four years.
“I thought our guys really pulled together in the second half,” stated Yoder. “I was proud of how we kept competing and even thought we were able to turn our level of play up a notch. Now we just need to get 40 full minutes of that kind of effort and I think we’ll start seeing some positive results.”
Nine different PBU players found the scoring column with senior forward Tom Arthur leading the way with 18 points and seven boards on seven of 14 shooting. Senior guard Dan Schlegel carded eight points and five boards, while senior Mike Phillips chipped in with six points on a perfect two for two shooting from downtown.
“We’re still learning. Even the seniors are in the middle of figuring out a new system – I think our overall team chemistry and presence on the court will come with time as we become comfortable with our different sets. The good news is we’re getting there.”
The team will look to pick up their first win this Tuesday when the group squares off with Rutgers University - Camden. The game will be played at The Community College of Philadelphia and is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM.
