Three Tartans Notch Double Figures in Setback at Penn State Behrend

(Erie, Pa.) - The Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball team closed its non-conference slate with a 69-57 setback at Penn State Behrend on Wednesday, January 7.  The Tartans will begin University Athletic Association (UAA) play with a 9-2 record while the Lions improved to 10-1.

Sophomore Jack Serbin (New Albany, Ohio) gave Carnegie Mellon a 21-17 lead with 8:47 to play in the first half after draining a three-point bucket.  Over the next four minutes, the Tartans were held scoreless while the Lions rattled off eight unanswered to grab a 25-21 advantage.  Behrend's extended its run into a 20-5 scamper before senior Kevin Stursberg (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Jacksonville Episcopal) scored for the Tartans with 14 seconds showing on the clock to cut the home team's lead to single digits at 37-28 heading into the break.

Carnegie Mellon scored the first seven points of the second frame to pull within two (37-35), but the Lions responded with an 11-4 run to push the lead back to nine at 48-39 with 12:19 to play.  Late in the half, Serbin finished an 11-5 spark for the visitor's, as his layup with 2:41 to play pulled the Tartans to within four points (60-56).  From there, Behrend held the Tartans to one point the remainder of the contest and converted 7-of-8 from the charity stripe down the stretch to seal the win.

For the game, Carnegie Mellon shot 40% from the field to the Lions 44% while the Tartans were outrebounded for just the second time this season, 39-35.  Senior Seth Cordts (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) led all scorers with 18 points and Serbin finished with 16. Stursberg tied a career-high with 12 points while adding a career-best 11 rebounds to record his first career double-double.

Malquan Pullium led the Lions with 15 points while Nick DeLisio finished the game with 14 points and Wes Davic and Zane Hackett each had 11. Davic led all players with 14 boards.

Carnegie Mellon will start UAA play on Saturday, January 10, when Case Western Reserve University travels to Pittsburgh for a 5:00 p.m. tip.