58-Point Second Half Leads Men Past Lehigh Valley

McKeesport, PA. – After falling behind early on Friday night, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Men’s Basketball team (12-5, 9-4) scored 58 points in the second half to come back and defeat Penn State Lehigh Valley (4-11, 3-9) 93-60. It was a whole team effort in the win as PSUGA kept it going as they fight for a Penn State University Athletic Conference playoff spot.

It was a back and forth game throughout the first half with each team having an answer for the other. DuBois held a slight 15-13 lead six minutes into the game and increased it to 21-15 just one minute later. However, PSUGA would get right back to it going on a 9-2 run and taking the lead with nine minutes left before halftime.

The back and forth would continue for the remainder of the half with the lead changing hands three times over the final nine minutes and the teams headed into the locker room with Lehigh Valley holding the slight 38-35. Senior Jordon Payne (McKeesport, PA./McKeesport HS) led the way with 10 points in the first half, but it would take an entire team effort to pull this one out.

PSUGA would put the game away in the first few minutes of the second half. After the two teams traded blows to start it, PSUGA would go on a 23-2 run that opened up the score to 60-46 and all but put the nail in the coffin. Antonio Hill (West Mifflin, PA./West Mifflin HS) and Koran Flemming (Wilkinsburg, PA./Westinghouse HS) led the way with 11 and eight points respectively in the half as part of the 58-point attack.

The defense handled their business as well holding Lehigh Valley to just 22 points in the half giving them no chance to get back into the game. Head coach Tyler Care got to empty his bench in the final two and a half minutes of the game as everyone who dressed got some minutes allowing the starters a breather.

Payne led the way with 16 points in the win followed by a trio of Flemming, Hill, and Makis Rivera (Pittsburgh, PA./Imani Christian Academy) who each scored 13 in the win. On the defensive side of the ball, it was Rivera who grabbed a game high 10 rebounds to pick up his third double-double of the season.

With the win, PSUGA now moves a half game up on PSU-Beaver, who canceled their games tonight, in the PSUAC West Division. With a fourth straight trip to the PSUAC playoffs on the line, Care and his team just need to keep handling their business and they will once again find themselves in the tournament.

PSUGA is back in action on Saturday when they take on PSU-Brandywine at 3 p.m. as the second half of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader.