CINCINNATI, Ohio – Hanover (10-6 overall, 6-3 HCAC) struggled in the second half at Mount St. Joseph on Saturday afternoon in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action, falling to the Lions 69-65.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Three Panthers landed in double-digits led by Malachi McNair with a team-high 18 points and 13 rebounds. His teammate, junior CJ Walls added 17 points while junior Cam Freeman had 12 points in total.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers hit the road for an afternoon clash with the Lions, pouncing from the tip. Hanover cruised to a 5-0 lead, led by McNair. However, MSJ quickly began to match the Panther pressure and knotted the score 7-7.
 
McNair and Walls packed the one two punch as they were able to combat the Lions run and propel HC to a 13-10 difference. After a scoring drought, junior Cam Freeman drained a crucial three-pointer that helped give Hanover a 30-26 halftime lead.
 
The Lions came out red hot in the second half, scoring eight straight points for a 34-30 advantage. But McNair refused to be tamed as he hit another runner in the lane before a pair of sophomore Jeremiah Alexander free throws knotted the game once more.
 
The two teams exchanged scores well under the six minute mark when an MSJ run of 6-0 put them in front 62-57. Hanover reclaimed the lead at 4:46 off a McNair layup but the Lion offense hung tough with success at the free throw line. MSJ secured the slim 68-65 win.
 
Hanover returns to action on Wednesday when they welcome Berea to Collier Arena.