Gray, Newton Shine as Schuylkill Falls in High-Scoring Home Opener

Penn State Schuylkill traded punches with Penn State Hazleton in a fast-paced home opener but couldn't slow a red-hot Hazleton offense late, falling 105–86 on Tuesday night in Schuylkill Haven. Amir Gray poured in a team-high 23 points on an efficient 9-for-13 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three, and added five assists and five rebounds to pace the Lions' attack. Lee Newton was equally sharp, scoring 20 points on 8-for-11 from the field with three triples, while Tre Worsley added 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in a strong two-way effort.

Schuylkill opened the night with an 8–0 run after falling behind 4–0, sparked by back-to-back jumpers from Gray and a Worsley bucket to grab an 8–4 lead and force an early Hazleton timeout. After Hazleton answered with a run of its own, Gray and the Lions punched back again, using another burst that included two Gray threes and a Bryce Hensley and-one to move in front 22–19. Midway through the half, Caden Mitchell gave Schuylkill a jolt off the bench, scoring on back-to-back layups to erase a 29–22 deficit and tie the game at 29–29. Hazleton closed the half on a surge to take a 51–42 lead into the locker room.

The Lions came out of the break with another strong push, ripping off a 7–0 run as Newton drilled a three and Worsley finished in transition to trim the margin to 51–49. Hazleton responded with a sustained scoring stretch to push the lead back to double figures, but Schuylkill continued to battle. Mitchell finished with 11 points, 3 assists, and several key buckets in the second half, while Hensley chipped in 6 points and 3 rebounds. A late burst—highlighted by a Jeremiah Miller jumper, a Newton dunk in transition off a steal, and another Newton pull-up—pulled the Lions back within 92–79 before Hazleton closed it out at the line. Schuylkill shot an impressive 50% from the field (32-for-64), knocked down 10 three-pointers, and handed out 18 assists on 32 made shots in the loss.

Penn State Schuylkill is back in action tomorrow night with a road test at NCAA Division II Kutztown, tipping off at 7:30 p.m.