The Chestnut Hill College defense struggled in the second half as Lock Haven University connected on nearly 70% of their shots and scored 54 points in the half handing the Griffins a 95-67 loss in men's basketball action at the Thomas Field House in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania Saturday afternoon.

The loss drops the Griffins record to 1-3 while the Bald Eagles improve to 2-0.

MJ Iraldi led the Griffins with 16 points and eight rebounds. David Erebor added 12 points (5-10 FG) and grabbed six rebounds, joining Iraldi as the only two Griffins to reach double figures.  Amir Warrick also had six rebounds

Coming off the bench, James Rider added eight points while Dylan Majors chipped in seven.  Colin Flach and Noah Charles also had six points apiece.

The Bald Eagles scored the first nine points of the game and later jumped out to a 27-12 lead at the 9:46 mark before the Griffins began to chip away. Chestnut Hill followed with a 20-5 uprising, battling back to tie the score at 32-32 with 2:54 left in the half.  Nigel Haughton and Rider started the run with three-point baskets followed by a layup from Erebor.  Iraldi and Erebor then produced back-to-back traditional three-point plays to close within five at 31-26.   After the Bald Eagles went 1-for-2 from the line, Iraldi and Rider knocked down three-point baskets to pull the Griffins into a tie, the first of three in the half.  Lock Haven however scored the final five points of the half, breaking the 36-36 tie to go up 41-36 at the break. 

The Griffins stayed close over the first three minutes of the second half and trailed by four 47-43 when the Bald Eagles connected on their next seven shots from the field, outscoring the Griffins 19-4 over a 5:30 stretch to open up a 66-47 lead.  Lock Haven tacked on ten more points before Iraldi's two free throws broke the drought as the Bald Eagles led 76-49 with eight minutes left. Chestnut Hill could get no closer than 25 points the rest of the way.

Lock Haven shot 68.8% (22-32) from the field in the second half to finish the game shooting 57.6% (38-66).  Chestnut Hill shot 34.8% (23-66) for the game. The Griffins grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and finished the game with a 38-37 advantage on the glass.

LHU's MarkAnthony Fidelis led all scorers with 26 points while Eli Washington chipped in 21.  Dymir Montague and Jesse McPherson had 17 and 15 respectively.

The Chestnut Hill Men's Basketball Team returns to action on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 when they travel to West Chester University for a non-conference regional game.  Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m.