PHILADELPHIA (11/16/2019) – Chestnut Hill College dropped its home opener on Saturday night against Lock Haven University, 78-61. The Griffins went into halftime trailing by two, but the Bald Eagles capitalized early in the second half to earn the win.

Lock Haven University (2-0) got off to a strong start to lead by as many as 12 in the first half, but the Griffins (0-4) battled back, using a 17-4 run to take the lead late in that opening period. Success at the foul line was critical for Chestnut Hill College in that stretch, with sophomore forward Amir Warrick (Washington, D.C.) knocking down all five of his attempts and sophomore guard James Rider IV (Baltimore, Md.) each of his four attempts. The Bald Eagles recovered to head into halftime with a 35-33 lead.

An 8-0 run and a 10-2 run early in the second half helped Lock Haven University take control of the game. The Bald Eagles led by as many as 20 points in the second half to run away with the 78-61 result over the Griffins.

Lock Haven University had three players who finished in double figures – senior guard Christian Kelly (Phoenixville, Pa.) with 20 points, junior guard Matt Cerruti (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) with 18 points, and junior forward Jesse McPherson (Philadelphia, Pa.) with 10 points. Kelly also led the team with nine rebounds, four steals and four blocks.

Getting his second start of the year for the Griffins, Warrick led the team with 13 points. Warrick also recorded a team-high three blocks. Freshman guard Scottie Spann Jr. reached double figures off the bench for the third consecutive game with his 11-point outing against the Bald Eagles. Junior forward Eli Barrett (Harrisburg, Pa.) and freshman forward Julius Phillips (Philadelphia, Pa.) hauled in eight and seven rebounds, respectively, to top Chestnut Hill College's production on the boards. Phillips also dished out a team-high four assists.

Freshman guard Gabe Perez (Philadelphia, Pa.) made his collegiate debut against Lock Haven University, scoring four points and tallying a rebound and an assist in his 14 minutes of work. Freshman guard Jesse Balcer Jr. (Lafayette Hill, Pa.) scored his first collegiate points, knocking down a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to finish with five points.

The Griffins head back on the road for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Tuesday, November 19 against Bloomsburg University.