PHILADELPHIA – Despite leading for the entirety of the opening half of the second period, the USciences men's basketball team could not hold on in a 66-57 loss to Georgian Court on Tuesday evening at Bobby Morgan Arena.  

University of the Sciences did not trail by two possessions until a dunk made the score 54-49 with 7:39 remaining, part of a 14-1 run that gave GCU its first lead since the 9:54 mark of the first half.

The Lions would go ahead 56-49 just 1:05 later, before five unanswered got the Devils got as close as two, 58-56, on an Omari Salvi dunk with 4:00 to go.

University of the Sciences would score just one point down the stretch though, failing to take advantage three GCU turnovers and the Lions going just 6-of-11 from the foul line.

Salvi neared his second career double-double with team-highs of 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and nine rebounds, one point and two boards shy of respective career-bests.

Tommy Gardler was also in double-figures with 11 points on 5-of-7 field goals.

Jaakko Juusela led USciences with four assists and a career-high two blocks, while also matching a season-best with eight points.

It was Juusela's 3-pointer to make the score 16-14 with 9:54 left in the first half that gave USciences an advantage it would not relinquish until GCU's second half run, and his triple 4:09 ahead of the break produced the game's first two-possession advantage, 25-18.

He then made two free throws 1:42 later that produced the Devils' largest lead, 29-21, only to have the Lions end the period on a 9-3 surge to make it a two-point game, 32-30, entering the locker room.

Despite Georgian Court tying the score at 35 just 2:11 out of halftime, USciences re-gained an advantage the next trip down the floor, and the Devils would lead by as many as six, 48-42, on Jordan Davidson's layup with 10:44 remaining.    

University of the Sciences is back at home on Saturday, hosting Nyack at 3 p.m.