SCRANTON, Pa. – The Neumann University men's basketball team opened the 2025-26 campaign at the Hilton Scranton Invitational on Friday evening. The Knights fell to DeSales University 74-67.
 
Bryan Etienne led four Knights in double-digits with 19 points. DJ Earl netted 16 points. Donte Dupriest tallied 13 points and Julian Phillips added 11 in his Knights debut. Dupriest and Phillips also added eight rebounds each.
 
DeSales opened the game with a three-pointer. Phillips answered with his first basket of the game, and he went on to score the first four points of the game for Neumann. The Bulldogs built a 13-4 advantage over the first four-plus minutes of the game. With 6:21 on the clock, another basket by Phillips pulled the Knights to within four, 26-22. DeSales answered with an 8-2 run for a 34-24 advantage. Neumann went on a 7-1 run to come back within four, 35-31. The teams traded free throws before halftime and the Bulldogs held a 39-32 lead at the break.
 
Most of the second half was much like the first as each team would make runs, but DeSales kept holding the advantage. As the Bulldogs held a 64-56 lead with 8:02 on the clock, the Knights went on an 8-1 run over the next four minutes to pull within one, 65-64. DeSales scored seven of the next eight points to go back up by seven, 72-65. In the final minute, each team hit two free throws and even though the Knights kept pace in the second half with each team scoring 35 points, the Bulldogs used the first half lead to take the game 74-67.
 
Neumann (0-1) will face Lehman College in the consolation game tomorrow afternoon beginning at 2:00 PM.