NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. - Penn State New Kensington men's basketball shot better than 50 percent from the field on Tuesday, but still suffered a 100-82 defeat against Franciscan. After holding a three-point lead at halftime, the Barons outscored the host Lions 56-41 in the second half to seal the victory.

As a result of the nonconference setback, the Lions fell to 3-3 overall. Franciscan, meanwhile, improved to 3-2 on the season.

The early stages of the opening half saw the teams exchange the lead on several occasions, but a 10-0 run by Franciscan put the Barons ahead 18-13 with 11:27 left. Although Penn State New Kensington pulled within one point multiple times, Franciscan never relinquished its lead and took a 44-41 advantage to the locker room at halftime.

Franciscan controlled the second half, thanks to 7-of-10 shooting from three-point distance, and 64.7 percent shooting overall for the Barons after the intermission. Senior Justin Mack led the way, as he hit four shots from behind the arc in the second half and tied for a game-high with 22 points.

Despite the loss, the Lions hit nearly 51 percent of their shots from the field in the contest, with sophomore Aubrey Feaster II (Buffalo, NY/William B. Travis) leading the way. Feaster hit 10-of-13 attempts for 22 points, which tied Mack for the game-high, and he also snatched eight rebounds, dished out a game-best four assists, and added two steals. Reserve Jared Sidwell (Apollo, Pa/Harvest Baptist Academy) added 14 points for New Kensington, while Ta'Rasi Means (Plum, Pa/Plum) and Benjamin Cunningham (Woodbridge, Virginia/Christ Chapel Academy) each contributed a dozen points. Cunningham also snagged 10 rebounds, while Means had a pair of steals.

In addition to Mack, Josh Zimmerman recorded 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists for Franciscan, while Colton Hage scored 14 off the bench.

Penn State New Kensington returns to action next Tuesday, Nov. 30, for a home conference matchup against Penn State DuBois at 8 p.m.