WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University men's basketball team ended its season with a 75-67 loss to North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) foe Penn St.- Berks at the Field House on Senior Day. It was fitting for senior center Danny Kelly (Strongsville, Ohio) to have a career day in his final game as a Bison.

Kelly scored a career best 32 points as he made 12-of-17 shots from the field (70.5 percent) and 7-of-10 shots from the free throw line. He also grabbed 11 rebounds to earn his fifth double-double of the season. He also added two blocks, one assist and one steal.

In a back-and-forth first half neither Gallaudet (10-15, 6-8 NEAC South) or Penn St.-Berks (13-11, 11-3 NEAC South) ever led by more than five points, when Berks led 7-2 with 17:22 left to play in the half. GU and Berks tied the game 11 times in the first half and went into halftime tied at 34. 

The second half started out like the first, with Berks taking the lead less than 30 seconds in and Kelly tied the game at 36 points shortly after. GU tied the game for the final time at the 14:10 mark on a Ben Coleman (St, Paris, Ohio) jumper to knot the score at 42. Less than a minute later, Darren Major (seven points) made 3-pointer for the Nittany Lions. The Bison were unable to catch-up for the rest of the game. GU came within three points, 55-52, at the 6:59 mark after senior Layton Seeber (Champaign, Ill.) made two free throws.

Tom Smith led the Nittany Lions with 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Guard Dameon Nixon finished with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal.

The Bison lose four seniors in Kelly, Seeber and Jeremy Adams (Glenn Dale, Md.) and Jocus Houston (Baton Rouge, La.). Here are the final numbers for the quartet.

Seeber reached the 1,000-point mark on Jan. 20. In three seasons with the Bison he netted 1116 points, grabbed 423 rebounds, had 359 assists, 73 blocks and 148 steals in 77 games.

Kelly, a four-year veteran, collected 1,000 points on Feb. 6. He finished his career with 1,070 points to go with 560 rebounds, 105 assists, 23 blocks and 38 steals in 77 games.

Houston, a four-year letterwinner, accumulated 548 points, 208 rebounds, 95 assists, eight blocks and 109 steals in 96 games for the Bison.

Adams in one season ended with 57 points, 35 rebounds, nine assists, two blocks and four steals in 25 games.