ABINGTON, PA- The Highlanders took on the Penn State Abington Nittany Lions in their final game before a lengthy Christmas break. Cairn outlasted PSU-Abington's second half comeback, hanging on for a 78-75 victory to get back to their winning ways.
 
The Highlanders took control from the start as both Malachi Hall and Julian Collazo knocked in jumpers from beyond the arc to give Cairn a 16-6 lead in the early stages. The Highlanders stayed on top throughout the first half as Hall notched 12 points, Justin Dean chipped in with 8 points and 5 rebounds, and Jordan Koczman tallied 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Penn State Abington's Pernell Ghee awoke in the second half, chipping away at the Highlanders lead with countless slashes to the bucket.  With four minutes left on the clock the Highlanders led by one as Hall and Koczman took over on the offensive end to keep Cairn ahead. However, Ghee's relentless play put the Nittany Lions on top 74-73 with two minutes remaining.  Despite the offensive struggles, Cairn buckled down on the defensive end, shutting down PSU-Abington and knocking down their free throws to take a 78-75 victory and improve to 7-5 on the season.
 
The Highlanders have two weeks off- not playing again until January 2^nd when they travel to take on Messiah College at 7:00 PM.