Knights hang close with Williamson, fade down the stretch in loss
By Paul Miller
Knightly News Co-Adviser
Photos by Abbee Breski
Knightly News Sports Photographer
The Central Penn College Knights men’s basketball team fell on Friday to the Williamson Trade Mechanics by a score of 75-67 in an ESAC Conference matchup from East Pennsboro Middle School.
The Knights, who came into this game looking for their first win of the season, had faced a series of tough challenges leading into this contest, having played five NCAA teams over the last five weeks.
Central Penn was also without two of its key players, with injuries holding both Khalil Dukes and Connor Jenkins out of the game.
The Knights got off to a slow start over the game’s first five minutes, falling behind early by a score of 11-2 after Ronald Johnson hit two jump shots to extend the lead to nine.
After the slow start, the Knights answered. Dahsan King hit a quick layup and Gabriel Kearney sank the 3-pointer to get the Knights back to within four early on.
After making a brief run, the Knights struggled again during the middle part of the first half, allowing the Mechanics to go on a 12-1 run over about a five-minute span in the first half, led by A’Jaad White’s 10 first-half points.
The Mechanics went on to extend their lead by as many as 20 in the first half, after a 3-pointer from Liam Rardin extended the Williamson Trade lead.
But the Knights never quit and went on a small run of their own to end the first half, closing out the half on a 12-5 run that allowed them to pull as close as 10 in the waning minutes. Back-to-back layups from Bersy Moundzieho helped the Knights gain some momentum as the half came to a close.
In the second half, Coach Kenton Alston’s team came out with a new enthusiasm and realized that, after the run at the end of the first half, the game was still in reach.
The second half belonged to King, scoring 27 points in the second half alone, draining four 3-pointers and going a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line.
This offensive outburst from King helped the Knights stay in the game. After a missed 3-point basket from King, Donnell Loud grabbed a key offensive rebound and sank the put-back to keep the Knights within 10 with 13:30 to go in the contest.
The Mechanics continued to hold a steady lead, with Ethan Montero burying a 3-pointer with 12:15 left in the game, followed by two made free throws from White to extend the lead to 15.
But the Knights would continue to show their resiliency, as King and Riley Young both sank 3-pointers and also both added layups in a run that got the Knights to within single digits, 57-48, with 6:34 left in the game.
With 2:54 remaining, King hit another 3-pointer to get the Knights to within seven points. Central Penn traded baskets over the next two minutes, setting up a showdown in the final minute.
With under a minute left, Moundzieho hit a free throw to bring the Knights to within five, only down two possessions after being down by as many as 20. But a key foul by Young sent White to the line, where he hit both free throws, extending the lead to seven.
Even after a valiant effort in the second half, the Knights were unable to overcome their slow start and lost the contest by a score of 75-67.
The Weis Knightly News Player of the Game was King, who scored a game-high 35 points, added five steals, and was perfect from the free-throw line, 11-for-11. He played all 40 minutes. Loud added eight points and 10 rebounds, while Kearney had 10 points and three steals.
For Williamson Trade, White was a force, with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Rardin chipped in 16 points and four rebounds, while Johnson added 11 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
With the loss, the Knights fell to 0-10 on the season. They next play on Wednesday at home against another ESAC-Conference foe, Manor College. The game will tip off at 8 p.m.
The Knightly News Media Club will be broadcasting all of the Central Penn College men’s and women’s home games during the 2025-26 season. You can tune in at https://www.youtube.com/@KnightlyNewsCPC.
On this broadcast, Dr. Paul Miller and Parker Rose were on the call, with Noah Lopez and Alex Foley producing the show.
