Keystone Grinds Out Victory Over Centenary

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La Plume, PA – Duncan Lunsford (Marietta, GA/Sprayberry) recorded a double-double on game-highs of 22 points and 10 rebounds to help lead Keystone College to a 78-67 victory over Centenary College in Colonial States Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon in the Gambal Athletic Center.  The Giants, who have now won three straight games, improve to 5-2 on the season and 2-0 in conference play while the Cyclones fall to 2-7 overall and 1-1 in the CSAC. 
 
After Centenary scored the first five points of Saturday afternoon's game, Keystone used an 11-1 run to build an 11-6 lead with 12:55 remaining in the first half.  The Cyclones were able to trim their deficit to one point nine minutes into the half, but the Giants would used a 12-4 burst to claim their largest lead of the half, 12 points, with 3:30 left in the period.  Centenary responded with a 12-2 surge of their own over the next two minutes to narrow their deficit to 35-33, but a Ben Holl (Philadelphia, PA/Friends Select School) three-pointer would halt the Cyclones' run and Keystone took a 39-33 lead into halftime after Lunsford made one of two free throws with three seconds showing on the clock.
 
Holl led the Giants with nine points in the opening 20 minutes of play while Lunsford and Miles Dargan (Orlando, FL/Wekiva) had eight points apiece.  Lunsford also added six points while Alex Smith (Floyd, NY/Holland Patent ) led all players with three assists in the half.  Keystone shot 37.9 percent from the field in the first half including a cold, 28.6 percent from three-point range while going 11-15 from the free throw line.
 
Kyle Malavasi paced Centenary's offense with eight points in the first half while Tim Brix added six points for the Cyclones, who shot 39.4 percent from the floor while going just 2-9 from beyond the arc and shooting 71.4 percent from the charity stripe.
 
Centenary used a 7-0 run early in the second half to take a 44-41 lead just under seven minutes into the period before another three-pointer from Holl tied the contest back up.  The two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes and, with the game level at 51-51, Dan Candemeres (Holbrook, NY/Sachem East) hit a pair of free throws to put Keystone back in front before Lunsford buried a trey at the 7:44 mark to give the Giants a 56-51 lead.  The Cyclones narrowed their deficit to 58-55 with just over six minutes remaining, but the hosts would use a 12-4 surge to take a 70-59 lead with 1:42 to play, and the visitors would come no closer than within six points down the stretch.
 
Lunsford with a double-double on game-highs of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals while Dargan finished with 15 points in the game.  Holl added 14 points while Candemeres netted 11 points.  Smith and Jesse Longmire (Harlem, NY/John S. Burke Catholic) tied for the a game-high with three assists in the win for the Giants, who shot 45.7 percent from the field on the afternoon including a 34.5 percent clip from beyond the arc and a 70.3 percent effort from the free throw line. 
 
Clayton Roker and Joshua Case tied for the team-high for Centenary with 15 points apiece while Malavasi and Brix finished with 10 points apiece.  Zachary Duymich led the Cyclones with eight rebounds and three assists while Brix pulled down seven boards in the loss.  For the game, Centenary shot 37.8 percent from the floor and hit just 12.5 percent from three-point land.  The Cyclones also went 8-11 from the free throw line.
 
Keystone will be idle until Tuesday, December 31st, when they take on the University of Scranton in a Coaches vs. Cancer game that will be played at the Lackawanna College CYC in Scranton.  Opening tip between the Giants and Royals is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve.