MARCY, N.Y. – The SUNYIT Wildcats (3-11, 1-3 NEAC) came back from a 13-point deficit in the second half to defeat the Nittany Lions of Penn State-Abington Sunday afternoon, 70-62. The Wildcats engineered an improbable 20-3 run over a six-minute stretch late in the second half to hang on for their first conference victory.

FIRST HALF: 

The Nittany Lions came out firing, knocking down three 3-pointers in the first four minutes and building a 22-5 lead just 6:10 in the contest.

Last year's NEAC Rookie of the Year Mike Marvin led the visitors in the first half, scoring 11 points on 5 of 10 shooting, while point guard RJ Handy added 10 of his own while pulling down 6 rebounds.

To SUNYIT's credit, the Wildcats battled back, closing the half on a 14-6 run to enter the locker room down fifteen, 36-21.

The comeback was due in large part to the inspired play of Kaleel Johnson (Syracuse, N.Y. / Syr. Academy of Science). Johnson scored 14 of the Wildcats' 27 points in the first half while grabbing a team-high 9 rebounds. Five of those boards were offensive, as Johnson pounded the glass for SUNYIT and gave the Nittany Lions all kinds of problems in the paint.

SECOND HALF RECAP TO FOLLOW