NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Thiel College men's basketball team was defeated, 83-81 by the Penn State Shenango Nittany Lions at the Buzz Ridl Classic hosted by Westminster Friday evening.
 
The back-and-forth match saw the Tomcats take a 42-37 lead into halftime. In the second half, the Tomcats remained ahead until the Lions went on a 13-2 run to take a 54-49 lead. The Tomcats and Lions were locked in a 58-58 stalemate with 8:39 to play. An 11-2 run saw the Lions take a 69-60 lead with 6:55 left in the match. The Tomcats, however, were not done, and took the lead 75-74 with just 2:10 remaining. In the final two minutes, the Lions outscored the Tomcats 9-6 to win 83-81.
 
Ahmad Tejumola (Waldorf, Md./Saint Charles) notched a double-double with 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting and 22 rebounds. Tejumola's 22 boards were the fourth-most in a single game in Thiel history and the most since 1968 (30, Bill Antil vs. John Carroll). He also led the team with three assists and recorded no turnovers.
 
Beni Lavodrama (Washington, D.C./Phelps ACE) also recorded a double-double, the first of his Tomcat career, with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting and 13 rebounds. Marlon Ellerbee (Temple Hills, Md./Oxon Hill) nearly made it three double-doubles for the Tomcats, as he tallied 14 points and eight rebounds, both career highs. Daquan Simmons (Capitol Heights, Md./Central) scored 15 points and added six rebounds.
 
Malik Weatherington led the Lions with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Jashun Cobb tallied 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
 
The Tomcats will conclude play at the Buzz Ridl Classic tomorrow at 5 p.m. as they take on the Capital Comets.