MANSFIELD – Junior Eli Alvin came off the bench to score 21 points to lead the Mansfield University men's basketball team to their second straight PSAC victory, taking down Bloomsburg University, 81-75 on Friday night, Jan. 3 inside Decker Gymnasium.
With the victory, the Mounties (4-7, 2-4 PSAC) have tied their win total from all of last season and have already tripled their PSAC win mark.

After a back-and-fourth second half that featured six ties and two lead changes, the Mounties earned their largest lead of the night, 74-65 following a pair of junior Christian Simmons' free throws. However, the Huskies (5-7, 2-4 PSAC) connected on a pair of free throws and their next two triples to cut the lead to four with 29 seconds to go.

Freshman Jaz Farrell (10 points) knocked down a clutch pair of free throws on the ensuing possession, but the Huskies responded with an immediate three to set up a dramatic finish. After a pair of missed foul shots from the Mounties, junior Jonathan Ward sent away a breakaway layup and Simmons sent a full-court lead pass to Farrell who threw down a dunk to seal the game as the clock struck 0.

Mansfield outrebounded the Huskies, 50-46, which led to 16 second-chance points to Bloomsburg's 10. The Mounties second unit made the difference for the second straight game, outscoring the Huskies 40-22.

Alvin tied a career-high of 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while knocking down two threes and pulling in five rebounds. Ward added nine points, eight rebounds and three blocks and Simmons just missed a double-double finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds.

The starting lineup was headlined by senior Jahmir Green's 13 points, five assists, two steals and four rebounds. Junior Taylor Sweeney netted nine points and grabbed seven rebounds.

In the opening period, the Huskies built an early advantage and led by as much as nine with 12:14 remaining. However, the Mounties used a 9-2 run over the next three minutes to cut the deficit to 19-17. The Huskies built the lead back to five, but that was as large as it would get thanks to an 11-2 run capped off by a Farrell three to give the Mounties a six point lead with less than two minutes to go. Alvin and Ward combined for 15 points and seven rebounds to lead the Mounties in the first half.

The Huskies received a game-high 23 points from Ky Mauras and 22 points from Justin Anderson. Mauras and Anderson went a combined 8-for16 from behind the arch.

The Mounties hit the road on Monday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. to take on Shippensburg University in PSAC East action.