McKeesport, PA. – It was the second week of the Penn State Greater Allegheny Fan Vote and, this week, you the fans were voting for the 2018-2019 PSUGA Game of the Year. The votes are in and Koran Fleming’s (Wilkinsburg, PA./Westinghouse HS) half court buzzer beater that gave PSUGA a 68-65 win over Penn State Brandywine on February 2nd 2019. It was a big win for Fleming and his team as it put them right back in the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoff race.
It was a slow start to the game for PSUGA as they were outscored 43-34 over the first 20 minutes of play and went into halftime down nine. Head Coach Tyler Care and his team would have to make some big halftime adjustments if they were going to try and comeback to inch closer in the playoff race. The adjustments started paying off as PSUGA cut into the lead going on a 9-2 run over the first three and a half minutes of the second half to cut the Brandywine lead to 44-43.
After Brandywine extended their lead to 52-45, PSUGA would fight back going on an 11-0 run to take a 61-55 lead with just under nine minutes to play. They would hold onto that lead until the final two minutes of the game when Brandywine made a free throw to tie things up at 63-63. The team’s would trade the next four points and with 48 seconds left on the game clock the score was tied at 65-65.
That score would remain until Brandywine had the ball with under twenty seconds to go and called a timeout. They drew up a play to get the ball to the team’s best three-point shooter, Bryce Barrouk, and things worked to perfection. Barrouk took the shot and it bounced off the rim and into the hands of PSUGA senior George Prota (Elizabeth, PA./Elizabeth Forward HS). Prota then launched the ball to Fleming with one second to go and Fleming heaved the ball from the half court line. It would go right in and just like that PSUGA picked up a crucial 68-65 win.
It was a career game for Fleming who led the way with 22 points while getting four assists and one rebound in the win. Nine of his 22 points came in the second half including his big half court shot. Fleming was one of three PSUGA players to finish in double digits and the win dropped the team’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot down to two.
PSUGA’s fan vote will continue throughout the summer as we want to hear from you the fans on your favorite moments and players from the 2018-2019 season. To vote, follow us on Facebook (/PSUGAAthletics), Twitter (@PSUGAATHLETICS), and Instagram (@psugaathletics) and come back every Monday to see the weekly categories.
We are now less then 100 days to the start of the 2019-2020 PSUGA Athletic season as we get ready for another exciting year of PSUGA Athletics. It all kicks off when the PSUGA Volleyball team heads to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Tip-off Tournament on August 30th and August 31st.