Box Score
LANCASTER, PA - Lancaster Bible College used a 52.9 percent shooting clip Wednesday night to help the Chargers bounce the men's basketball team from the NCCAA East Region playoffs.
During opening round action, the Crimson Eagles succumbed to the host squad's pressure as LBC rattled visiting PBU into 23 turnovers - blunders that led to 22 buckets for the Chargers. Lancaster also pounded PBU on the glass, collecting 12 more rebounds than their counterpart for the game during a 76-52 win that signals the Chargers' fourth straight triumph over the Crimson Eagles.
After opening up the initial defensive slugfest with a 8-7 edge nine minutes in, PBU's offense stalled over the ensuing eight minutes. The visitors failed to score a single point during the span as Lancaster took advantage, rolling up a 16-0 spurt to go ahead 23-8. The host group would swell their advantage to 34-15 by the intermission, thanks - in part - to 15 PBU first half turnovers.
Undeterred, the Crimson Eagles would work their way back into the game in grind-it-out fashion, chipping away at LBC's lead over the opening five minutes of the second stanza. PBU would cut the deficit to 11 at 40-29, but another mini 5-0 boost capped by a Travis Weyandt triple would push the margin back to 16 with 13 minutes to play.
PBU would make several inspired pushes down the stretch but couldn't knock the deficit into single digits as Lancaster would deliver several knock-out punches in the form of three point daggers.
After hitting just seven field goals during the opening period, the visitors finished the evening knocking down just 36.2 percent of their attempts from the floor for the game, including a shaky 2 for 15 effort from long range. Lancaster also enjoyed a 21-4 edge in bench points production throughout the night.
The senior tandem of Willie Miller and Ben Fuller led the scoring barrage for the Crimson Eagles as the duo collected 18 and 12 points, respectively, to close out their careers.
Wednesday's loss boots PBU out of postseason play and officially ends the Crimson Eagels' season. The basketball team closes out the year with a 7-19 overall record.
