Bad second half spurt hurts Roaring Lions against SVC

UNIONTOWN – After losing to Saint Vincent by 40 in November, Roaring Lions Coach Mark John promised that things would be different the second time around.

While the Roaring Lions fell to the Bearcats 74-55, the game was a lot closer than one would think.

After spotting SVC an early 11-2 lead, the Lions trailed at by 11 at halftime.

James Pratt's (Uniontown, Pa.) three pointer and a layup by Ryan Hart (Pittsburgh, Pa.) were sandwiched in between a pair of Brandon Cunningham layups that closed the gap to six with 15 minutes to play.

However, the Roaring Lions failed to score on the next nine possessions, covering nearly five minutes. That allowed Saint Vincent to open the gap and the Bearcats continued to build their lead.

David Winns (Washington, D.C.) notched his second double-double in three games, scoring 18 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Cunningham added 12 and Ryan Hart 11 for the Roaring Lions (4-6, 3-0).

For the Bearcats, Tauvon Pettiford led the way with 19 points, with Isaac Turner adding 15 and Dennis Bassich 10.

Fayette returns to action on Jan. 7 when it travels to Penn College for a PSUAC matchup. The Roaring Lions return home the next day to host Rochester College. That game has a 2 p.m. tip.