PSUGA Men Look to Start New Year with a Win

McKeesport, Pa. – After a long and chilly holiday break, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Men’s Basketball Team (8-4, 3-1) looks to get the new year started off right when they take on Penn State Wilkes-Barre Friday at 8 p.m. After playing eight straight games on the road to end the first half, PSUGA comes back home, where they have a perfect 4-0 record on the season.

The men are trying to get back in the win column after dropping their first half finale to PSU-DuBois 80-74. It was a rare down game for Jordon Payne (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) who scored a season low eight points in the contest. Jeremy McMunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) continued his hot streak with a team high 16 points, but PSUGA could never recover from a slow start.

After starting the season on a four-game winning streak that included their first win over a Division II school in program history, the men have gone 4-4 in their last eight games. They will look to get back on track in the newly renovated Wunderly Gymnasium where they have been very successful holding a 38-34 all-time record. Their offense has played very well at home averaging 93 points per game as compared to 85 PPG on the road.

PSUGA will also start the year trying to make more history. After Khari Hicks (East Hills, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) broke the career assist record earlier this season, Curtis Newby (Sharon, Pa./Sharon HS) looks to possibly break another record Friday night as he sits nine rebounds away from breaking the career rebounding record at PSUGA. Newby has been a double-double machine this season with seven through the teams first 12 games. The current record for career rebounds is 704 held by former Lion Petrie Addison.

PSU-Wilkes Barre is looking to bounce back as well after suffering their first loss of the new year against Alvernia College on Tuesday. After leading 43-32 at halftime, Wilkes Barre allowed 45 second half points on the way to the loss. Wilkes Barre got most of its offense from Jordan Williams 21-point effort, but no one else could get anything going in the game.

In the all-time matchup between these two teams, Wilkes Barre had the slight advantage with a record of 4-3 against PSUGA dating back to the 2011/2012 season. However, PSUGA got the better of Wilkes-Barre last season as George Prota (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) had a break out game scoring 16 points to lead his team to victory.

Tip-off for Friday night’s game is scheduled for 8 p.m. inside the newly renovated Wunderly Gymnasium. When you come to the game, be sure to help out our PSUGA Athletics Canned Food Drive as we collect non-perishable food items for our campus food pantry to help fight food insecurity.