Solano, Vines pace Nittany Lions in 84-79 win over Penn State Scranton

HAZLETON, Pa. - Penn State Hazleton used a late rally to swing past Penn State Worthington Scranton, 84-79, in a Penn State University Athletic Conference men's basketball game on Wednesday night in the Dr. Thomas Caccese Gymnasium.

Junior Dwayne Vines and freshman Jacob Solano led Hazleton (4-3, 2-1 PSUAC), who fell behind 79-76 with 1:33 to play after leading 76-68 with a 4:05 to play. The 11-0 rally by Scranton wasn't enough, as Solano hit a jumper to pull the Nittany Lions within one with 1:03 left. Vines added a lay-up to give Hazleton the lead for good with just under 30 seconds, and the two each added a basket late after Scranton turnovers to pull away.

Solano had a career-high 29 points on 13-of-19 shooting and added three assists. Vines was a force on the glass, pulling down 14 rebounds, including eight offensive, to go along with his 19 points. Freshmen Tyreek Fairfax and Royce Brathwaite joined the double-figures group, pouring in 14 and 11 points, respectively. Brathwaite also added three assists in his 19 minutes.

Scranton (4-6, 1-2 PSUAC) was led by Hasiin Dixon, who capped a strong outing with 34 points, while teammates Jeff Griffin added 14 and Levert Comas scored 10.

Despite turning the ball over 16 times, Hazleton won the battle on the boards, 33-24, on a night that most everything went through the basket. Each team finished shooting over 50 percent from the field, including the Nittany Lions' 31-for-58 performance. The 47 percent clip from three-point range was a season-best for Hazleton, as Fairfax led the charge from deep with four.

Hazleton will hit the road on Saturday, December 6 to face Penn State Greater Allegheny at 6:00 p.m. The Nittany Lions conclude their western trip on Sunday, December 7 at 1:00 p.m. when they face perennial conference power Penn State Beaver.