ALTOONA, PA – The Oberlin College men's basketball team closed out 2023 with a balanced victory over Penn State Altoona on Saturday afternoon. The Yeomen dominated in the paint and capitalized off second-chance opportunities to claim the 73-54 victory.
Oberlin returns to their conference schedule in the new year, hosting Hiram at home on Wednesday, January 3. Tipoff in Philips is set for 2 p.m.
How It Happened
The visiting squad took an early lead over the Lions off back-to-back treys from Andrew Gannon and JJ Gray. The lead extended to seven after Will Bousquette III cashed in from behind the arch, as the Crimson and Gold began to cruise against PSU. Oberlin maintained a comfortable lead over Altoona, ahead by as much as 13 points when Yuuki Okubo scored on a fastbreak at the 3:24 mark. The Yeomen hit six three-pointers in the opening half, and never allowed the Lions to come within a score after the 18:02 mark.
Coming out with a nice 43-34 lead over PSU, Okubo knocked down another three to launch a 10-0 run for the Yeomen. After their hot start, Oberlin slowed the pace of the game, giving up eight points before picking up where they left off. A free throw followed by a layup from Asaan Snipes-Rea put the Crimson and Gold back on the board as they led the game 56-42. A trey from Robert Millard gave Oberlin their first 20-point lead of the contest, just ahead of another Millard bucket. Millard kept the hot streak rolling, scoring the next five points for Oberlin, only disrupted by a jump shot from Zach Bronson out of a Lions' timeout.
The Yeomen held off the Lions in the final minutes of the game to capture the 73-54 win, and their third double-digit victory.
Game Notes
» Millard carried the offense with a career-high 16 points, highlighted by four three-pointers.
» Gray (13), Okubo (12), and Gannon (11) finished in double-digits as well.
» Micanovic tallied a team-high ten rebounds but came up three points short of another double-double.
» The Crimson and Gold led the Lions for 38:26 consecutive minutes.
» Oberlin showcased their scoring prowess, racking up 27 points off the bench.
Fans can watch all the home matches live online. Home contests can be accessed on a TV through the official Oberlin College Sports Network app on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
