WASHINGTON - The Gallaudet University men's basketball team scrapped and fought with Penn College of Technology here Saturday afternoon in the Field House. The Wildcats walked away with a battling 66-60 win over the Bison in the United East game.

Penn College (7-12, 5-5 United East) got a jump on the competition by taking the largest lead of the game by 10 points with the score of 25-15 at the 6:20 mark with support of 10 points off the turnovers made by Gallaudet (2-16, 2-8 United East). GU was able to slow the Wildcats down to finish the first half with a score of 37-29.

In the beginning of the second half, the Bison took advantage of the Wildcats' early foul trouble as they got called for eight fouls in the first five minutes. GU went on a 15-2 run led by senior guard Malosi Viena (Waipahu, Hawaii), who scored 10 points in that run to give GU the lead by five with the score 44-39 on the 15:41 mark. First-year guard Jory Valencia (Riverside, Calif) made a critical layup to give the Gallaudet it's largest lead of the game, seven points, 48-41  at the 12:58 mark. 

In the last eight minutes of the second half, Penn College responded with a 23-10 run score led by Wildcats' Livingston Cross and Colby Bost with seven and six points, respectively, to secure the win.

Viena finished the game with a career-high 19 points including three 3-pointers off the bench in 19 minutes. Senior forward Blessed Mbogo (Silver Spring, Md.) recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Valencia added 11 points and grabbed six rebounds.

The Wildcats had two players in double figures led by Cross who recorded a double-double with a game-high 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

BISON TRACKS

• Junior Bruce Brewer Jr. (Santa Fe, N.M.) added four points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals
• GU had 22 bench points
• The Bison scored 26 points in the paint

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will travel up to Middletown, Pa., this Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. to play a conference game at Penn St.-Harrisburg (12-7, 8-2 United East). The Lions won the first meeting this season (Dec. 4) with an 80-66 win in Field House.