MANSFIELD, Pa. – Freshman guard Michael Dickson came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points to propel the Mansfield University men's basketball team past Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) leading Lock Haven University, 76-64, on Wednesday night, Jan. 11, inside Decker Gymnasium.
 
The Mounties pick up their second conference win to improve to 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the PSAC, while Lock Haven (10-3, 6-2 PSAC) is dealt just their second conference loss of the season to drop one game behind East Stroudsburg University.
 
Dickson went a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor, including knocking down both triples he attempted to lead the Mountaineer second unit that outscored LHU's bench 27-16. Saraj Ali dominated the paint, pulling in a career-high 15 rebounds to go with 12 points, two steals, and a block. Jordan Montgomery knocked down 3-of-5 shots from behind the arch, all coming during a late first-half Mountaineer run. Idris Ali had nine crucial points coming at key moments, while Scott Woodring did a little bit of everything, finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. Ali and Woodring each had three steals.
 
Neither squad could get anything going offensively to start the game and the Mounties trailed, 19-18 with 2:59 to go in the first half.  
 
However, the turning point in the contest came late in the half when Montgomery drilled three straight shots from behind the arch to help the Mounties build a 30-25 lead heading into the break. Ali pulled in 11 of his career-high 15 rebounds in the first half.
 
After shooting just 34 percent (12-of-35) from the floor in the first half, the Mounties seemingly couldn't miss in the second half, knocking down 63 percent of their shots (15-of-24), including 56 percent from behind the arch.
 
The Mounties led by as much as 18 in the second half after opening the period on a 12-2 run, led by seven points from Perez.
 
Despite losing the turnover battle, 19-10, the Mounties dominated in all phases of the game, finishing with a rebounding advantage of 47-28, leading in second-chance points, 13-3, and bench points, 27-16.
 
For LHU, Jayy Davis led the offense with 18 points, while Eli Washington finished with six steals.
 
The Mounties return to the court on Saturday, Jan. 14 when they visit Shippensburg University at 1 p.m. in PSAC Eastern Division action.