Lycoming College

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Junior Brendon Blackson (Laurel, Md./Laurel) scored 16 points and three steals in his first game back after missing the last 22 games of last season with an injury, leading a group of four Lycoming College men's basketball players in double figures as it separated from Clarks Summit University in the second half for an 81-60 win in the opening round of the Crosstown Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 11, at Lamade Gym.
 
Senior Dyson Harward (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) posted 14 points and 11 rebounds, as he became the second player in program history to reach 25 career double-doubles, also adding three blocks. Junior Steven Hamilton (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville Area) added 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds and first-year J.J. Beagle (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) delighted the crowd with 10 points and four dunks.
 
Senior Mo Terry (Severn, Md./Severn School) posted eight points, eight rebounds and four steals and senior DeAundre Manuel (Brooklyn, N.Y./KIPP NYC Prep) added six points, 11 rebounds four assists and two blocks.
 
The Warriors (1-0 overall) shot 43 percent from the floor (30-of-70) while limiting the Defenders (0-2 overall) to 35 percent (23-of-66) and Lycoming used a 53-30 advantage in rebounding to help Coach Mark Linebaugh earn his first collegiate win as a head coach, and his first head coaching win since leading Annville-Cleona High School to 21 wins in 2010-11.
 
Lycoming jumped out with eight straight points, as both Hamilton and Harward hit 3-point shots in the game's first 67 seconds, but the Defenders responded with a 24-9 run to take a 24-17 lead with 7:26 left in the first half. The Warriors ended the last five minutes of the half, though, on a 16-4 run to take a 35-29 lead into the break, as Harward led the run with five points and Terry hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 2:03 left in the period.
 
The Warriors separated early in the second half after Clarks Summit closed within three at 40-37, as Lycoming went on a 12-point run, highlighted by a dunk, layup, dunk succession from Beagle to make it 51-37 and forcing a Clarks Summit timeout. The Defenders never got back with 10 points and after cutting the lead to 11 with 4:57 left, the Warriors went on a run of 10 straight points before another dunk from Beagle with 1:02 left gave Lycoming its largest lead of the game (79-57).
 
Ashton West led the Defenders with 20 points and five steals and Isaiah Coleman had 11 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Warriors are back in Lamade Gym with the final round of the Crosstown Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m., when they host John Jay.