WILLAMSPORT, PA (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) –The SUNY College at Old Westbury men's basketball team wrapped up play Saturday in the consolation game at the Lycoming Tip-Off Tournament with an impressive 97-53 victory over the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Mountain Lions from Lamade Gym.  Old Westbury opened the season on Friday with a 76-63 setback against the Salisbury Seagulls.  Old Westbury (1-1) continues play on the road with a non-conference matchup with the Brooklyn Bulldogs on Tuesday in Brooklyn, New York. 

Tyrik Tucker was named to the All-Lycoming Tip-Off Tournament Team after averaging 23.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocked shots while shooting 16-of-27 from the field and 12-of-13 from the free-throw line.  

Old Westbury held a first-half lead from 18:06 to 4:38, until Salisbury's Elijah Gore knocked down a triple to give his team the lead for good.  Old Westbury last led 12-5 with 16:54 remaining.  Salisbury used an 11-1 run from 5:28 to 3:06 to take a 37-33 lead into the half. 

Salisbury bursted out of the second-half gates with a 10-0 run over the opening 2:49 to go up 47-33.  Tyrik Tucker's jumper with 3:24 remaining pulled Old Westbury with seven points, 66-59.  Salisbury answered with a 10-4 run to close out the final 3:18 of the game. 

Kerel Mitchell led Old Westbury with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field to go along with five steals.  Tyrik Tucker followed with 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks while Joshua Bailey and Everad Bisnauth grabbed seven and six rebounds each, respectively.  Rashawn McCarthy and Maxwell Attah both swatted a pair of blocks. 

Travon Vann paced Salisbury with 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while Trent Epps recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds.  Chris Viqueira nabbed three steals.

Old Westbury shot 43.9 percent (25-57) from the field, 21.1 percent (4-19) from three-point range and 60 percent (9-15) from the free-throw line.  Salisbury connected on 42.6 percent (26-61) from the floor, 40 percent (10-25) from three-point territory and 70 percent (14-20) from the charity stripe.  Old Westbury held a 40-36 rebounding advantage, including a 13-12 edge off the offensive glass, which led to 13 second chance points.  Salisbury converted 25 Old Westbury turnovers into 33 points.

Old Westbury never trailed against Penn State Wilkes-Barre as Kerel Mitchell drained a three-pointer to break the scoring ice, giving Old Westbury an early 3-0 lead.  Everard Bisnauth connected on a triple as Old Westbury's lead reached double-digits, 17-7, with 14:19 remaining.  Old Westbury continued to score at an alarming rate as the Panthers took a 53-25 lead with 1:55 left on the first-half clock.  Old Westbury went into the half with a 55-27 lead.    

Rashawn McCarthy knocked down a three-pointer with 15:57 left in the second-half to cap a 10-3 run to open the period.  Old Westbury's lead twice swelled to as much as 49 points as the Panthers held on for a 44 point victory. 

Tyrik Tucker led Old Westbury to victory with a 27 point-12 rebound double-double, in addition to recording six assists and four steals.  Joshua Hill scored 18 points (6-8 FG) off the bench while Rashawn McCarthy and Kerel Mitchell followed with 15 and 14 points each, respectively.  McCarthy and Omari Trebuse both swept away a pair of steals.  Maxwell Attah added seven rebounds and two blocks in 11 minutes.

Denzel Mensah was the lone Mountain Lion to score in double-digits, finishing with 10 points off the bench.  Jesse O'Connell and Jacob Bronder followed with nine and eight points each, respectively while Bre'yan Jones pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and Keith Johnson chipped in with three steals.

Old Westbury finished the game shooting 50.8 percent (33-65) from the floor, 29.6 percent (8-27) from beyond the arc and 71.9 percent (23-32) from the charity stripe.  Penn State Wilkes-Barre shot 28.4 percent (19-67) from the field, 10.5 percent (2-19) from downtown and 61.9 percent (13-21) from the stripe.  Old Westbury grabbed a 45-42 rebounding advantage, while Penn State Wilkes-Barre turned 15 offensive boards into just six second chance points.  Old Westbury turned 20 Mountain Lion turnovers into 33 points. 

BROOKLYN BULLDOGS UP NEXT FOR PANTHERS: Old Westbury returns to the hardwood for a non-conference showdown on Tuesday evening, taking on the Brooklyn Bulldogs in Brooklyn, New York.  Tip-off is slated for 8:30 p.m. from the West Quad Center.    

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