McKeesport, Pa. – After having a bye in the first round of the Penn State University Athletic Conference Playoffs on Wednesday night, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Men’s Basketball Team (19-6, 13-3) now knows who they will face in the semi-final round. PSU-Wilkes Barre defeated PSU-Lehigh Valley 83-54 and will be PSUGA’s opponent on Saturday.
Wilkes Barre advanced to the second round using an all-out offensive attack in the first half and tight defense in the second half. After leading 52-30 after the first half, they were able to hold Lehigh Valley to just 24 second half points on their way to the win. Levaugn Soules had a big day off the bench scoring 22 points and was one of four players to finish in double digits.
Wilkes Barre has been known for their tight defensive play, especially in the second half. In the team’s 13 games since January, they have only allowed their opponents to score more then 70 points three times. That trend held true in the first matchup between PSUGA and PSU-Wilkes Barre with neither team getting over the 50-point mark in PSUGA’s 45-44 win.
On the other side of the bracket, PSU-York advanced to the second round with a 68-56 win over PSU-Hazleton. It was a tight contest throughout with York holding a slight five-point lead at halftime before outscoring Hazleton 36-29 in the second half to pick up the victory. Richard Grant led the way with 22 points and 17 rebounds collecting a double-double in the win.
PSUAC playoff action now shifts to PSU-Brandywine where the final four will meet for their matchups starting Saturday February 17th. #1 PSUGA will take on #4 PSU-Wilkes Barre and #2 PSU-Brandywine will face #3 PSU-York. The winner of those two contests will then face-off on Sunday February 18th to crown the 2017/2018 PSUAC Champion.
Last season, PSUGA entered the PSUAC playoffs with a first-round bye before defeating PSU-Wilkes Barre and PSU-York on their way to the team’s second ever PSUAC Championship. They are looking to take a similar path and be crowned back-to-back champions this season. The last PSUAC team to repeat as champions was when PSU-York won the championship three straight years from 2013 to 2015.
Saturday’s semifinal action will start with PSUGA and PSU-Wilkes Barre at 3 p.m. and will finish with PSU-Brandywine and PSU-York at 5 p.m.
