YORK, PA – The York College men's basketball team played one of their best defensive games of the year but the Spartans couldn't find the bottom of the net as York dropped a 54-53 Capital Athletic Conference decision to Penn State Harrisburg on Wednesday night in York.

RECORDS

York (Pa.): 11-7, 6-5 CAC

PSU Harrisburg: 8-10, 5-6 CAC

TEAM STATS

FG Shooting (%): York 17-for-62 (27.4%), PSUH 18-for-45 (40%)

Three Point Shooting (%): York 6-for-26 (23.1%), PSUH 7-for-20 (35%)

Free Throw Shooting (%): York 13-for-21 (61.9%), PSUH 11-for-16 (68.8%)

Rebounding: York 31, PSUH 49

Assists: York 9, PSUH 13

Turnovers: York 9, PSUH 27

Blocked Shots: York 2, PSUH 5

Steals: York 14, PSHU 3

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• The first half could not have been much tighter as neither team was able to gain any significant offensive momentum. The Lions scored the first four points of the game which would be the largest lead of the first half. The Spartans scored 13 of the next 18 points of the game to push out to a 13-9 lead. The Lions tied the game at 15 and the contest would be tied two more times before the Spartans took a 21-19 on a pair of Matt Scamuffo free throws at the 4:08 mark. York scored six of the final eight points of the half to take a 27-21 lead to the break. The half was capped by a three-point play from Jared Wagner as York took a lead to the locker room for the 11^th time this year.

• York opened the second half with a Mike Frauenheim three pointer as the York lead grew to a game-high nine points. York maintained the lead until the Lions tied the game at 34 on a Marquese Daniels three pointer with 10:56 left in the half. Daniel's three started a back and forth stretch that featured three ties and three lead changes.

• The final tie of the game came when Wagner hit a driving lay up with 2:09 left in regulation, knotting the game at 50. Khalil White gave the Lions the lead for good with a lay up 30 seconds later. The Lions got a stop on the next Spartan possession but Wagner got a steal and Blayde Reich was fouled with 33.1 seconds left. Reich split the pair, cutting the York deficit to one.

• York fouled Daniels after the Green and White couldn't get the steal on the inbounds pass. Daniels split the pair, giving the Lions a 53-51 lead with 27 seconds left. York came up empty on their next possession and York was forced to foul again. Gbohahan Alliyu made his first free throw but missed his second and the Spartans got the rebound and called timeout.

• Wagner attacked the basket as the Lions defended the perimeter well. He was fouled and sunk both free throws, cutting York's deficit to one with 6.4 seconds left. The Lions were able to inbound the ball and York couldn't foul. York got a deflection but couldn't corral the loose ball as the Lions captured the free ball and ran out the clock.

SPARTAN LEADERS

Jared Wagner: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals

Mike Frauenheim: 9 points, 1 rebound, 4 steals, 3-for-6 from three

Blayde Reich: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist

LION LEADERS

Khalil White: 12 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals

Marquese Daniels: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

Gbolahan Alliyu: 19 rebounds, 9 points, 4 blocked shots, 2 assists, 1 steal

Jazmin Harris: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

GAME NOTES

The Spartans are now 8-5 in the all-time series against the Lions … as conference opponents (8 games), the home team has lost each time as York is 4-0 in Middletown and the Lions are 4-0 in York … the Spartans forced a season-high 27 turnovers as they scored 23 points off the Lion miscues … The Spartans shot a season-low 27.4% from the floor … York's 17 made field goals were a season-low … the 27.4% field goal percentage marked the first time this year that York failed to get to at least 35% shooting for a game … the Lions outrebounded the Spartans by 18 boards, York's second largest deficit of the year (21 @ F&M) … York held the Lions to just 54 points, their second best defensive performance of the year … York had just nine assists, their second lowest total of the season (8 vs. Mary Washington) … freshman Jared Wagner led the Spartans with 11 points as he was the only York player to reach double figures … it marks the second time this year that York has had just one double figure scorer in a game (@ CNU, Dalton Myers – 10 points) … sophomore Mike Frauenheim hit a career-high three three-point field goals in the game … the loss is the first game this season that has been decided by three points or less … the Spartans' 53 points were a season low … York entered the game having scored an average of 85.5 points per game over their last five games (4-1) … the loss is York's second straight and it is their third two-game losing streak of the year … York is now 8-3 when leading at the half as they have held the halftime lead in their last two games … York will play four of their next five on the road.

UP NEXT

The Spartans head back out on the road on Saturday as they head to Buena Vista, Virginia to face the Southern Virginia University Knights in a Capital Athletic Conference contest. Tip time from the Knight Sports Arena is set for 3:00 pm.