WASHINGTON, Pa. -- A layup by sophomore Nick Gearhart (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) with nine seconds remaining helped Washington & Jefferson erase a double-digit second half deficit and earn a 103-102 win over visiting Penn State Altoona Tuesday evening at Salvitti Family Gymnasium.
The layup by Gearhart and subsequent defensive stop helped the Presidents complete the comeback in a game where they trailed by as many as 17 points (78-61) early in the second half. The visiting Lions led for 33:40 of the 40 minutes. The game featured six ties and 11 lead changes.
Four players scored in double figures for W&J, which included a game-high and career-high 27 points from senior post Alexander Skowron (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley).
Junior forward Kyran Mitchell (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic) put together a near triple-double performance, as he finished with a career-high 26 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals in the victory.
Sophomore guard J.R. Mazza (Bridgeport, W.Va./University) poured in a career-best 20 points, as the sharp shooter buried five-of-10 attempts from beyond the three-point line Sophomore guard Michael Bigley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle) added 11 points and four steals as he rounded out the quartet of Presidents who scored in double figures.
The two teams combined to convert 49 field goals and score 115 points in a frenetic first half. W&J built an early 19-15 lead when Mazza drained a three-point basket at the 15:59 mark. A little later, a jumper by Gearhart in the paint gave W&J a 21-20 edge with 14:30 to play in the first half. That was W&J's last lead until the final seconds.
Penn State Altoona used an extended 26-13 run over the next nine minutes to take a 46-34 lead on a layup with 5:31 mark. A jumper by Mitchell just before the buzzer brought W&J within nine points (62-53) at halftime.
A three-pointer by Varun Ajjarapu swelled the Lions lead to 78-61 less than five minutes into the second half. However, the Presidents used eight consecutive points to cut the deficit back into single digits. A pair of layups by Skowron and a jumper by Mitchell trimmed the Lions' lead to 78-69 with 12:21 to play.
A pair of free throws gave Altoona a 100-89 lead with just 5:11 remaining. The Presidents kept chipping away on offense and tightened up the defense to make another push. W&J used a 10-0 run over the next 3:05 to pull within a single-point at 100-99 when Bigley split a pair at the line. Seven of the 10 points during the run came at the charity stripe.
The teams traded baskets to make the score 102-101 PSA with 1:19 to play. W&J made three defensive stops, the last of which was forcing a shot clock violation with 14 seconds to play. That set the stage for Gearhart's go-ahead layup. W&J came with another defensive stop to secure the victory.
W&J held a 29-20 edge in points off turnovers. PSA held decisive advantages in bench points (39-16) and rebounds (49-34). Both teams made eight three-point field goals.
Ajjarapu led Altoona (2-1) with 22 points. Five players scored in double figures for the Lions.
The win improves W&J to 3-0 overall. The Presidents have surpassed 100 points twice in three games.
W&J faces Gwynedd Mercy University (3-1) to open play at the Juniata College Tip-Off Tournament on Friday, Nov. 19. Start time is set for 5 p.m.