Hazleton, Pa. - In a Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up, the Penn State Greater Allegheny men's basketball team pushed out Penn State Hazleton in a 80-72 decision, Saturday afternoon.
The game began quick, as junior guard Petrie Addison (Fort Myers, Fla./Florida Christian) won initial possession of the ball, completing a jumper. Hazleton then made a nine point run over the next five minutes of action. Senior forward Nick Dizon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) earned a free-throw before senior forward Aaron Byrd (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise) went on an eight point run over the course of four minutes.
Addison and Byrd comprised of the next five points before freshman guard Eric Moody (Philadelphia, Pa./New Media Technology Charter) hit a ringer of a three-pointer. In the same series of events, Byrd and Addison answered with two points apiece before Moody nailed a trey. Hazleton led Greater Allegheny at halftime, 37-26.
Dizon alongside Addison earned lay-up's before Moody hammered another three-pointer, closing the gap between the two PSUAC teams, 40-33. Sophomore guard Chris Dixon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Steel Valley) slammed a three-pointer just 25 seconds after Moody's, continuing the drive onward. Dizon added six more before Addison closed the gap with another lay-up, 45-52 Hazleton.
The GA offense was hot now, as Moody hit Hazleton with yet another trey. Dizon managed a free-throw before Addison put up another lay-up, leaving Greater Allegheny only behind by a point with ten minutes left to play in regulation. Byrd gained a lay-up and a free-throw to catapult Greater Allegheny up and over the conference foe, never to look back.
Greater Allegheny was fired up, as a string of three-pointers were wired up for the away team. Addison dropped two as Moody got into the mix for one, sailing GA ahead of their competition, 63-56. Hazleton continued to score as Byrd and Addison got together to contribute six more tallies. Freshman Denzel London (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) got into the mix, as the guard shared a lay-up, 71-65.
The last minute of action consisted of free-throw's for Greater Allegheny, as four different GA student-athletes answered. Nine points were added to the final mark, as the men found themselves ahead of Penn State Hazleton 80-72 as time expired.
Addison went 56.2% (9-for-16) from the floor as the junior netted 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Byrd contributed to the team as he went 75% (9-for-12) from the floor. The senior added 19 points and boarded seven rebounds to help out the overtake of the PSUAC foe. Moody dumped 83.3% (5-of-6) of three-pointers taken to assist in the overthrow, as the freshman scored 17 points. Dizon finished the game with ten points and 13 rebounds to boost his team to their fourth conference win.
As a team, Penn State Greater Allegheny completed 49.2% (29-of-59) of their shots from the floor, 57.1% (8-of-14) from the three-point arc as well as 56% (14-of-25) from the free-throw line. GA out-rebounded Hazleton 42-30 alongside notching 32 points in the paint.
Greater Allegheny has a few days to rest before they travel on Wednesday to Penn State New Kensington. The Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up is set for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
