GROVE CITY, Pa. – Mistakes and turnovers cost the Barons in their first game of the season against Grove City College as they committed 32 turnovers in a 58-43 defeat.

Senior guard Moses Sullivan had 17 points on five for nine shooting, but the Barons gave the game away with their sloppy offense.

"We're a fairly new group and still learning how to play with one another," head coach John Lamanna said of his team of ten newcomers and three returners. "We just made some poor decisions and got outside of our offensive execution."

Despite 14 first-half turnovers, the Barons were still tied going into the second half in large part due to their defense. Over the course of the game the Barons held Grove City to 35 percent shooting while shooting 33 percent themselves and outrebounded Grove City 40-30. They also forced 16 turnovers.

"I was very impressed with what we did defensively," Lamanna said. "The fact that we played as spot-on as we did defensively, that's encouraging."

The Barons' turnovers finally caught up to them in the second half, and they also started missing shots that they were making earlier in the game. They did not make a field goal in the last four minutes.

"We just need to continue working on our decision making," Lamanna said. "That's really what it comes down to. We'll continue to work on that this week in practice."

Sullivan, the team's leading scorer during the 2013-14 season, remained the highlight of the Baron's offense along with fellow return, junior forward Christian Duke who finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Lamanna said he was also encouraged that their offense was generating open looks and added that he was happy with the rebounding efforts of freshman forwards John Paul Dombrowski and Daniel McElroy who combined for seven rebounds, six points, and three blocked shots.

The Barons play their second game of the season against Carnegie Mellon University at the Geneva Tip Off Tournament in Beaver Falls, Pa. on Friday, Nov. 21.