HOUGHTON, N.Y. – For the third straight game the Houghton Highlanders came out of the shoots hard and fast, building a double-digit halftime lead, only to watch it fade away in the final minutes.
 
Houghton took a 10-point lead into the break on Tuesday night, but the visiting Grove City College Wolverines came all the way back, tying the game with six minutes remaining and taking the lead less than 30 seconds later.
 
A three and a layup by Dylan Lambert, combined with another layup by Jordan Scott gave the lead back to Houghton, but Grove City quickly recaptured the advantage for good, holding off a frenzied Highlander attack in the waning moments, sending Houghton to their fourth consecutive loss.
 
Game Vitals
Score: Houghton – 77 | Grove City – 83
Records: Houghton: 2-4 | Grove City: 2-4
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton, NY | Attendance: 117

Key Moments
>> After sitting out nearly seven minutes with two fouls, Houghton big man Jonathan Stowe reentered the game with 2:30 left in the first half, only to pick up his third foul less than forty seconds later.
 
With Stowe in foul trouble, their leading rebounder played only nine minutes in the second half, drastically changing the flow of play in the paint and on the boards.
 
>> With thirty seconds remaining in the game, Dylan Lambert sank a pair of free throws to pull the Highlanders within three.  On the ensuing inbounds play, Stowe made an incredible effort to knock the ball of a Grove City defender and give the ball back to the Highlanders.
 
But Lambert's three-point attempt rimmed out and was corralled by the Wolverines.  Grove City made a layup and a late free throw to seal the victory.
 
Key Stats
>> With Houghton's post players in foul trouble, the Wolverines owned the boards in the second half, outrebounding the Highlanders, 25-12, including a 12-2 differential on the offensive end. 
 
>> Houghton outshot Grove City from the floor (51% vs. 46%), from three-point range (48% vs. 42%) and from the free-throw line (85% vs. 62%).


>> The Wolverines outscored the Highlanders on points off turnovers (16-4), second chance points (17-4), and bench points (38-10).

>> Lambert finished with 20 points and seven rebounds for the Highlanders while Scott collected 19 points and nine assists.
 
>> Phil Pellegrino and Stowe added 16 and 12 points apiece, respectively.

>> Brandon Grider and Cory Huff contributed 23 and 19 points apiece for the Wolverines, respectively.
 
Next Time Out
Houghton travels to SUNY Canton on Friday to take on the Roos at 7:00 p.m.  Canton clipped the Highlanders in December 2015, 77-74, at the Nielsen Center.  In the past three meetings between the two teams, Houghton is 1-2.