Cronin and Williams Lead UMW Men Past Penn St. Harrisburg, 68-62; Coach Kahn Wins #300

Cronin and Williams Lead UMW Men Past Penn St. Harrisburg, 68-62; Coach Kahn Wins #300

Senior Johnny Cronin scored 20 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, while senior Jacob Williams added 20 points and seven rebounds to lead UMW men's basketball to a 68-62 victory over Penn St.-Harrisburg College on senior day in Fredericksburg, VA. Head coach Marcus Kahn wins his 300th career game. UMW improves to 16-7 overall, and 7-4 in the CAC. 

Penn St.-Harrisburg took an early 4-0 lead in the first 2:17, but UMW responded with seven straight points, all from senior Jacob Williams, to take a 7-4 lead. Drew Johnson and Da'Shawn Cook knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to grow the lead to six, 13-7, with 11:25 to go. 

After a timeout was called by the Nittany Lions, UMW added to their lead as they went on a 7-2 run to make the game 20-9 with 9:40 to play in the half. Greg Rowson scored three points and Johnny Cronin added four points in that mini-run. The Eagles kept their foot on the pedal as they extended their lead to 28-13 after Williams scooped home a layup with 4:05 remaining in the half.

The Nittany Lions cut the lead to 11, 30-19, with 38 seconds left. A.J. Robinson made a jump shot and then Williams made a free throw with two seconds left to put the Eagles up 33-21 at the half.

Cronin began the second half with two made layups to keep the Eagles up 13, 37-24. Penn St.-Harrisburg cut the game to single digits, 38-30, with 14:33 left but two Cronin free throws put UMW back up 10. The two teams traded baskets over the next four minutes until a Cronin layup pushed UMW to a 12 point lead, 46-34, with 10:13 to play. 

After a five point spurt from the Nittany Lions, Cronin made a layup and a free throw to keep the Eagles up double digits, 49-39, with 7:45 remaining. The two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes until Penn St.-Harrisburg cut the Eagles' lead to six, 55-49, with 3:39 left in the game.

After a minute drought of neither team scoring, Williams nailed a three-pointer with the shot clock expiring to extend UMW's lead to nine, 58-49. The Lions cut it to five with 1:21 left, but a layup from Greg Rowson pushed the lead to 60-53 with 1:04 on the clock. The Nittany Lions cut the game to three, 62-59, with 36 seconds. After Cook knocked down two free throws, PSH hit another three-pointer to get within two, 64-62, with 17 seconds left. Cook and Williams both stepped to the line and sank two free throws each to secure a 68-62 victory.

Cook scored 10 points and Rowson added nine points with six rebounds. UMW out-rebounded PSH 40-36, and dished out 13 assists as a team. 

The Eagles will travel to Southern Virginia on Wednesday for a tip-off set at 7:30 p.m.