Mansfield Sees Playoff Hopes End in Loss at Lock Haven

LOCK HAVEN – Malik Carter recorded a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds but his outstanding performance was overshadowed by Lock Haven's Amir Hinton's career-high 42 points as LHU ended Mansfield PSAC playoff hopes with a 97-85 win Wednesday night at Thomas Field House.

Mansfield led most of the first half and held a 39-37 halftime lead but Lock Haven dominated the second half, outscoring the Mountaineers 60-46 over the last 20 minutes.

Mansfield scored the game's first basket on a Carter layup less than a minute into the game and extend its lead to 23-16 on Matt Tamanosky's layup 11 minutes into the first half.

The Mountaineers, hitting 60% of their shots over the game's first 15 minutes, led 32-26 on a 3-pointer by Cedrick Powell with just under six minutes before halftime before Lock Haven, which switched from man-to-man to zone, used a 11-2 run to taking a 37-34 advantage  on a layup by Cole Renninger.

Mansfield's Da'Quan Jones hit two free throws and buried a 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining in the  half to give the Mountaineers a 39-37 lead at intermission.

Three minutes into the second half, Mansfield held a 46-44 lead on a pair of free throws by Jahyde Gardiner before Lock Haven, using a four-point and three-point play on successive possessions, went on an 11-0 run taking a 55-46 advantage on a Ra'eese Humt jumper five minutes into the second half.

Lock Haven would extend its lead to double-digits at 63-52 at the twelve-minute mark before Mansfield went on a 7-0 run to pull to 63-59 on a Tamanosky layup two minutes later. Carter, who had already scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, picked up his fourth foul with just under 10 minutes to play and would not return to the floor for four minutes.

Still Mansfield didn't fold, closing to 74-69 on an ally-oop by Gardiner with a little over six minutes to play.

But Mansfield would have no answer for Hinton who scored 10 of his points over the last five minutes of the game.

Carter recorded his fifth double-double of the season while scoring 60 points and pulling down 29 rebounds in two games against Lock Haven this season. Tamanosky scored 20 points, his third-straight 20+ game, while Cedrick Powell added 12 points for Mansfield.

In addition to Hinton's 42-point performance, Hunt added 15 points for Lock Haven.

Mansfield closes out the season by hosting East Stroudsburg this Saturday for Senior Day on First Citizens Community Bank Court in Decker Gymnasium. Free tickets are available at the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce Office on Main Street.