WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Four Lycoming College men's basketball players finished in double figures on opening night, as the team advanced from the first game of the 18^th annual Dutch Burch Tip-Off for the seventh straight year with a 97-75 victory over Penn State Schuylkill on Friday night, Nov. 13.
 
Junior David Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Communications Tech) led the Warriors (1-0 overall) with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists and sophomore Nykolas King (Harlem, N.Y./Manhatten Center for Science & Math) added 13 points and seven rebounds to go with four assists. Senior John Monkam (Lanham, Md./DuVal) added 12 points and seven rebounds and sophomore Alex Newbold (Bowie, Md./Dematha Catholic) notched 11 points, three assists and three rebounds.
 
The Warriors dominated in the paint, holding a 54-26 advantage, posting 18 second-chance points and 25 off the break, as they shot 47 percent (35-for-75) in the game and held Penn State Schuylkill (1-1 overall) to 38 percent (24-of-63).
 
The Lions started out the game hot from outside, managing to take a 15-12 lead nearly six minutes in before the Warriors went on a 25-9 run that occupied the next eight minutes of the first half to take a 37-24 lead after an old-fashioned 3-point play from King. The Lions never got back within single figures.
 
After heading into the break with a 55-39 lead, the Warriors scored the first four points of the second half to get the lead to 20 points. The Lions cut that lead to 12 as late as the 11:09 mark of the second half, but Benioko Harris, who scored 33 points, fouled out with more than six minutes remaining, and the Warriors were able to get the lead back to 20 points thanks to a 22-12 run.
 
Freshman T.J. Duckett (Severna Park, Md./Calvert Hall) had a promising debut, hitting 3-of-4 from 3-point range to finish with nine points and senior Eric Ishman (Jamaica, N.Y./Christ the King) also hit three 3-pointers to finish with nine, as he also added six rebounds and four assists. In all, 14 of Lycoming's 16 players found a spot in the scoring column.
 
Harris led the Lions with 33 points, as he hit six 3-pointers. Derek Dimond added 7 points and three steals and William Bracey finished with 11 points and six rebounds, but all three players fouled out. Nick Jacoby finished with eight points, eight assists, 10 rebounds and three steals.
 
The Warriors get back on the court with the championship game of the 18^th annual Dutch Burch Tip-Off presented by Nationwide on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m. They will face Misericordia, 63-60 winners over Lehman in the other first round game. Lehman will face Penn State Schuylkill at 1 p.m. in the consolation game.