Justin Wilson helped the Lock Haven cause by scoring 19 points in a 96-74 loss at Mansfield University. LHU was led on the evening by Billy Arre's 21 points.

MANSFIELD, Pa. – Lock Haven University (0-8, 0-0 PSAC West) couldn’t hang on to a halftime lead as they fell on the road tonight in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action to host Mansfield University (7-1) 96-74 at Decker Gymnasium.

LHU battled hard early and it paid off well as they took a 10-8 lead over the Mountaineers with 12:49 to play in the opening frame.

LHU would build their lead to 13-8 as forwards Billy Arre (Pittsburgh/Thomas Jefferson) and former Mountaineer Denny Mortimer (Silver Spring, Md./Mansfield University) helped Lock Haven build the early five point advantage.

But Mansfield would quickly come charging back and with a little over nine minutes left they would take a 16-15 advantage over the visiting Bald Eagles.

That lead for the home team would be short lived as two local products would help LHU take the lead back as freshman guard Eli Hanna (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) would find fellow guard Justin Wilson (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) beyond the arc and Wilson’s trey would give LHU the 18-16 advantage.

The Haven would hold the lead until 6:22 to play in the half when Mountaineer guard Kevin Hill would knock down the triple to knot the game up at 22 a piece.

Mansfield would control the next five and half minutes of play, but LHU wouldn’t go away as with 49 ticks remaining on the first half clock, Arre would bury a jumper from beyond the arc to give LHU the 35-34 lead.

As the clock was winding down Hill would hit two jumpers to give the lead back to Mansfield, but Arre would find an answer in the waning moments of the half as he would hit a layup with 14 seconds left to give LHU the halftime lead at 37-36.

Wilson’s 11 would lead the way for the Bald Eagles in the opening session.

Mansfield would come out of the locker room and take the lead back by scoring the first two points of the second half to take the early 38-37 lead.

From that point, the Mountaineers would go on a 25-10 run over the next eight and half minutes to build their lead to 63-47 with 11 and change to play.

With the clock slowly becoming their foe, Arre took the Bald Eagles on a quick five point spurt to draw them back to within 11 with ten to play, but that was as close as LHU would get as Mansfield would defend their house by defeating the visiting Bald Eagles by a 96-74 score.

Lock Haven was led on the evening by Arre’s 21 points. Billy also got a hand from Wilson who chipped in 19 of his own.

Junior guard Kelvin McLean (Newport News, Va./Heritage) provided a great spark for Lock Haven off the bench as he scored seven points and yanked down a team high six rebounds in his brief 15 minutes of play.

Leading the way for Mansfield was Yuseff Carr who racked up a 19 point performance for the Mountaineers. Carr also hauled in a game high eight boards.

LHU is back in action on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at Bloomsburg University in another men’s/women’s doubleheader. The men’s game is scheduled to tip at 7:30 at Nelson Field House on the campus of Bloomsburg.