READING, Pa. --- Despite Will Kelly putting up 23 points and leading by as many as 12, the Lycoming College men’s basketball team could not hold off the Lions of Albright College on Saturday, Feb. 21 as the Warriors fell in their final game of the season, 72-70.

Lycoming finishes the year at 11-13 overall and 4-8 in the Commonwealth Conference. Albright improves to 17-8 and 8-4 in the conference.

The Warriors dominated the first half, taking its

12-point lead at 11:20 when Eric Anthony scored a layup, putting Lycoming up 23-11. Albright worked its deficit to five as Zac Shaeffer hit a three-pointer at 6:47, cutting the Warriors to a 27-22 lead. Lycoming regained its 12-point lead at 4:04 on a Kelly jumper.

Greg Sye gave the Warriors a six point lead going into the locker room at halftime, driving the lane and making a layup with 34 seconds left in the first, putting Lycoming up 38-32.

At the start of the second half, Lycoming continued to lead, going up by eight on the first play on another Kelly jump shot. The Lions did not give in, and slowly worked down the Warrior lead, eventually taking over at 12:35 as Justin Plummer scored a layup, putting Albright up 49-48.

The two teams battled back and forth, exchanging two point plays over the next six minutes before the Warriors wrested control back, going up 63-58 at 6:42 on a layup by Kelly. A three-pointer by Albright’s Matt Ashcroft and a layup by Phil Hall knotted the game for the first time since the start, 63-63 at 4:28.

Albright went up by as many as six as Ashcroft scored a layup with 59 seconds left in the game. A small surge by the Warriors cut the lead to two, as Anthony was fouled while shooting from beyond the arc, nailing all three free throw attempts.

The Middle Atlantic Conference will be naming its All-Commonwealth teams at the end of the conference championships. Stay updated by visiting www.lycoming.edu/athletics.