WASHINGTON – Gallaudet University men's basketball dropped an 84-66 United East Conference game here Saturday to Penn St.-Abington in a frigid Field House on Alumni Day.
 
Gallaudet (1-20, 0-12 United East) trailed for the entire game against Penn St.-Abington (16-6, 10-3 United East), who currently sits in second place in the conference standings and is inching closer to a postseason berth. The loss officially eliminates GU from postseason play.
 
The Bison got saddled with early foul trouble to begin the game as the Nittany Lions jumped out to a 17-5 lead just over seven minutes in.
 
Junior guard Rory Lewis (Frederick, Md.) made back-to-back 3-pointers to get Gallaudet back in the game as the Bison trimmed the lead to four, 19-15, at the 10:34 mark. Abington used a 20-3 run, over the next seven minutes, to increase its lead to 39-18. The Nittany Lions took a 46-25 lead into halftime.
 
Gallaudet crawled back into the game in the second half as the Bison pulled to within 10 points, twice, the last after a 3-pointer made by senior guard Preston Kelly (Indianapolis, Ind.) at the 3:19 mark as the visitors clung to a 71-61 lead.
 
The Nittany Lions responded with their own 3-pointer from Alex Salata, who finished with a game-high 31 points, and outscored the Bison 13-5 in the final three minutes of play.
 
Lewis finished with 23 points as he made five 3-pointers while Kelly chipped in 15 points and passed out eight assists, grabbed five rebounds and made three steals. Sophomore forward Blessed Mbogo (Silver Spring, Md.) poured in 17 points in the loss.
 
Abington had four players in double figures led by Salata, Brian Randolph (16 points), Jake Schalki (13 points, seven rebounds) and Alex Podolski (11 points).
 
UP NEXT
Gallaudet continues its homestand on Wednesday, Feb. 8, as the Bison play host to St. Mary's College of Maryland (9-12, 4-8 United East) at 7 p.m.
 
The GU basketball programs along with the Athletic Department are holding a Black History Month event around the doubleheader as there will be different presenters, exhibits, giveaways (t-shirt) and a DJ for everyone's entertainment. All money collected from paid admissions and concessions from that day will be donated to the Gallaudet Black Student Union and African Student Union.