WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Freshman Matt Ilodigwe (Wilmington, Del./Concord) netted a career-high 18 points and senior Calvin Chandler (Lake Worth, Fla./Park Vista) pulled in a career-high 11 rebounds, but the Lycoming College men's basketball team dropped the opening game of the Louis Fleming Basinger Memorial Tournament to Penn State University Abington, 66-55, on Friday night, Jan. 4, in Lamade Gym.
 
The Warriors (7-7) will face off with Haverford, who fell to Misericordia, 88-73, in the other opening round game, in the consolation game of the tournament at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5. Penn State Abington (5-5) will face Misericordia in the championship at 1 p.m. in Lamade Gym.
 
In a half that held four lead changes and three ties, the Warriors took a one-point lead with 7:41 remaining in the contest off a 3-pointer from Ilodigwe. Another bucket from Ilodigwe pushed the Warrior lead to three before the Nittany Lions used a 10-0 run over the games next four minutes to make the score 61-52 with 2:39 remaining. A layup in transition by freshman Markanthony Fidelis (Largo, Md./DeMatha Catholic) cut the gap to six, but three made free throws by Penn State Abington put the game away.
 
Ilodigwe led all scorers with his 18 points while going 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-8 from three. Fidelis notched his sixth straight game in double figures, finishing with 14 points. Chandler added five points to go with his 11 rebounds. Sophomore Darius Dangerfield (Abingdon, Md./Harford Tech) added nine points in addition to his game-high seven assists and senior Hiro Yamaki (Sakata, Japan/Sakata East) provided quality minutes off the bench, finishing with four points, four rebounds, and a block. 
 
The Nittany Lions led at the end of the first half, 29-26. Both teams shot 33 percent from the field in the first period, with the difference in the game being the Nittany Lions eight free throws made to the Warriors' three. The Nittany Lions built an 18-11 lead out of the gate before the Warriors used an 8-2 run to close within one. The Nittany Lions built it back to a six-point lead with one minute remaining in the half before Fidelis knocked down his first three of the game to send the Warriors into break down one possession.
 
Penn State Abington was led by Jay Fitzgerald, who finished with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jordan Lomax finished with a double-double, posting with 14 points and 12 rebounds.