Late comeback bid falls short for New Kensington men

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. - Trailing by 10 points entering the final minute of Monday's tilt, host New Kensington staged a rally that pulled it within three points. New Ken was unable to overcome the deficit, however, and impressive foul shooting allowed Penn State Wilkes-Barre to claim a 75-66 victory in a Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) matchup.

The setback dropped New Ken to 2-13 on the season, and 1-8 in the PSUAC. Wilkes-Barre improved to 8-2 in the conference, which ties for the top spot in the East Division, and 13-2 overall.

Through the first half, the teams played evenly, but foul shooting proved the deciding factor in the final 20 minutes. Wilkes-Barre went 22-of-27 at the charity stripe after intermission, while New Ken was just 9-of-14.

With the visitors staked to a 52-49 edge with 10 minutes left in regulation, Wilkes-Barre used a 9-3 run to gain command, and maintained that lead until the final minute. With 59 seconds remaining, New Ken senior Wilson Rojas (Pittsburgh, Pa/Havelock) connected on a three-pointer and was fouled. He hit the ensuing free throw, and freshman Jahi Ogbonna (Pittsburgh, Pa/Allderdice) made a jumper to pull his team within four, at 67-63.

After Wilkes-Barre made a pair of shots at the foul line, Rojas stroked another three, making it 69-66 with 26 seconds remaining. That was as close as New Ken got, however, as Wilkes-Barre hit six consecutive foul shots in the closing moments to seal the victory.

New Kensington held a 31-30 lead at the half, with senior Jamison Nee shouldering the scoring burden. Nee contributed 10 points in the period, including 6-of-6 on foul shots.

A foul-plagued second half resulted in both Nee and teammate Tavarski Wardlow (Round Rock, Tx/Hendrickson) fouling out, with Nee scoring just two points in the second half, while Wardlow was scoreless for the game. The teams combined for 55 fouls in the contest.

New Ken was led by Brian Davidson (Pittsburgh, Pa/North Catholic), who netted 15 points. Ogbonna scored 14 points and added five assists, while freshman Hasaan Ismaeli (Pittsburgh, Pa/Nazareth Prep) contributed 11 points and a team-best seven rebounds.

Khalil White bolstered the offense for Wilkes-Barre, as he scored 20 points and dished out four assists. Kevin Major scored 17 points off the bench, as well.

New Ken returns to action on Friday at 8 p.m., on the road against Penn State Brandywine. Wilkes-Barre next plays on Friday, as well, hosting Penn State Greater Allegheny.