Overtime Period Shattered PSUAC Final Hopes for Greater Allegheny Men's Basketball

Mont Alto, Pa. - Despite being up by 19-points at one time, the Penn State Greater Allegheny men's basketball team ended their 2015-16 season at Penn State Mont Alto, Saturday afternoon, in a overtime Penn State University Athletic Conference semi-final showdown, Mont Alto on top after overtime, 82-73.

Mont Alto was first on the board quickly with a three as freshman guard Jordon Payne (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) matched them, 3-3. Mont Alto went on a 9-3 run before sophomore forward Curtis Newby (Sharon, Pa./Sharon) added four. Sophomore guard Jeremy McMunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) downed a jumper as McMunn and sophomore guard Denzel Boyer-London (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) both put up two points a piece.

Newby escalated for eight points while junior guard Jumanne Butler-McDaniel (Somerset, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) downed a jumper, 23-18 MA with just ten minutes until halftime. Newby piled up four more points as Boyer-London brought it to a one-point game with a good three-pointer. Newby took the lead 27-26 with a jumper as McMunn laid points in the paint. Boyer-London made a free-throw as Payne nailed another trey, Greater Allegheny now in the driver's seat, 33-27.

McMunn and freshman forward Isaiah Fluker (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) both swelled with points in the paint before Fluker dropped a trey. Payne road out the remainder of the first half with a total of six points outside the arc, Greater Allegheny leading the home team 46-33.

McMunn came out of the gate with five points for the Lions before junior guard Moe Alli (Edison, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) extended the lead over Mont Alto to 19-points with a good three-pointer. Newby cashed in for a trio of layups before Moe denoted a pair of three-pointers as Mont Alto continued to work.

With the clock under eight minutes in regulation, Payne added a three himself. Newby hit a lay-up as the next five minutes went silent for the visiting Lions. Newby posted the final points for Greater Allegheny with 1:30 remaining in regulation, GA leading 73-69. A layup and an extremely costly foul with just four seconds remaining in a two-point Greater Allegheny game. Mont Alto's Corey Meyer landed both free-throw attempts to tie the game at 73, sending the two PSUAC final hopefuls to a five-minute overtime.

Mont Alto and their home gym ignited though the overtime period, holding Greater Allegheny to a 9-0 win to solidify their PSUAC Championship , Tuesday, against #2 Fayette.

Fouls and foul shooting was ultimately Greater Allegheny's demise, as GA resulted 20 fouls into 84.6% (22-of-26) of Mont Alto's shots from the foul line. Greater Allegheny went on to be out-rebounded 55-47 through the contest. The men cashed in for just 40% (30-of-70) from the floor, with only 14.3% (2-of-14) of their shots from the foul line going in. The team dropped 28 points in the paint with nine points converted off of turnovers.

Mont Alto managed 40 points in the paint with 19 points off second-chance and 17 points off of GA turnovers.

Newby led the team by shooting 75% (12-of-16) with 25 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals. Payne compiled 15 points with six boards and two assists while McMunn denoted 11. Alli came in for nine points and eight boards with three steals and two assists.

Greater Allegheny finishes their regular season 14-13, 11-5 Penn State University Athletic Conference.

Newby is currently holding down 3rd place in the PSUAC for rebounds per game with 9.5.

Great job to the coaching staff and the student-athletes on a truly remarkable year. This is the farthest the Greater Allegheny men's basketball team has come in the PSUAC Final Four in ten seasons.