Cheyney, PA. – Sophomore Jabril Baxter (Philadelphia, PA, Academy at Palumbo HS) grabbed a deflected pass and connected on a half-court shot as the buzzer sounded to propel the Cheyney University men's basketball team to a 61-58 heart stopping victory over Penn State Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night inside Cope Hall.

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Baxter finished with a career-best 10 points to help the Wolves move to 4-11 on the season. Cheyney scored the final seven points of a game, for the second home game in a row, to secure its second straight home victory.

The sophomores keyed Cheyney's victory led by Kian Nixon (Upper Marlboro, MD, Feather River CC) with 17 points and seven rebounds, Nathan Rosario (Philadelphia, PA, Parkway HS) had a career-best 14-point and eight rebound effort, Nathan Pettus Jr (Philadelphia, PA, Hill Freedman World Academy HS) scored a season-high 13 points, while Baxter grabbed a career-high seven rebounds and led the Wolves with three assists and three steals, to go along with the game winning basket.

6-11 Freshman Dut Kuol (Aweil, South Sudan, Olympus Prep HS) grabbed eight boards and scored five points including a thunderous slam dunk, while the Wolves were making its comeback, in the game's final eight minutes.

Penn State Lehigh Valley (6-7) held a 26-24 lead at the end of a very tight first half that saw no lead larger than three points by either team. The Nittany Lions built an 11-point lead 51-40, at the 8:01 mark of the second half.

Cheyney responded with an 8-0 run to pull within three 51-48 with 5 minutes to play. The Wolves closed out the game on 21-7 run.

Rosario started the run with a basket off a pass from sophomore Jordan McCants (Cleveland, OH, , Lorain County CC), Kuol then grabbed an offensive rebound and pounded home a slam to bring the crowd to its feet, Rosario made two-free-throws and Baxter completed the run with two more from the charity stripe. Cheyney made 12 of 13 free-throw attempts in the second half.

The Wolves pulled with two at 56-54 and trailed 58-54, with 1:12 to play. Nixon started the winning burst by connecting on two free-throws with 48 seconds showing on the clock, Cheyney then forced a turnover and Nixon hit a driving layup with 3.2 left to play to tie the score at 58-58.

Following a Nittany Lions timeout, the Wolves full court pressure forced a turnover in the backcourt and a deflected pass was tipped by Pettus Jr and found its way to Baxter, who grabbed it and in one motion sent it flying towards the basket. The shot from half-court went off the backboard and in as the buzzer sounded sending the Wolves player and fans into a frenzy and the Nittany Lions heading home stunned.

Cheyney returns to action on Wednesday January 18, at Five Points College in Dixie Hills NY. The tipoff is scheduled for 8 PM following the women's contest that is slated for 6 PM.
 
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