McKeesport, Pa. – The Penn State Greater Allegheny men's basketball team finished a Penn State Athletic University Conference weekend with a 80-74 win Sunday afternoon over Penn State Brandywine.
Freshman guard Khari Hicks (Pittsburgh, Pa./Imani Christian) was the first to answer for Greater Allegheny, as he scored an easy layup the first seconds of action. Senior forward Petrie Addison (Fort Myers, Fla./Florida Christian) was the next to answer, as both starters comprised of the first eight tallies.
Freshman guard Jashaun Fontanez (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) knocked down a three-pointer to even the score at eleven before freshman forward Tony Patterson-Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Roxborough) made a layup. Fontanez knocked down a layup as Addison slashed a layup and one to move GA into the drivers seat, 18-15.
Hicks contributed a trio of treys and a layup while Fontanez and senior guard Matt Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Mastery Charter Shoemaker Campus) added points to land Greater Allegheny the 34-27 lead with just four minutes left in regulation.
Freshman forward Antonio Lucic-Jozak (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) piled on a layup and a free-throw as Addison surged with a layup and a three-pointer. Hicks knocked down a three-pointer to send the two teams into the half with a 45-36 Greater Allegheny advantage.
Brandywine would not go quietly as they out-scored GA 7-3 within the first four minutes of second-half action. Patterson-Brown tallied the first three points before Lucic-Jozak slashed a layup and Addison adding on a three-pointer, GA up 53-47.
Greater Allegheny continued to score as Addison knocked down a pair of layups while Patterson-Brown recorded a trio of foul shots. Freshman forward Eddie Davis (Philadelphia, Pa./Roxborough) put up a layup and a pair of free-throws to move Greater Allegheny ahead of Brandywine 64-58 with a little over seven minutes to go in regulation.
Williams and Hicks matched one another with a jumper while Addison and Hicks add on a few foul shots. Fontanez and Addison also chimed in for a jumper apiece before Hicks completed the scoring drive for the evening with a final free-throw to end the Penn State University Athletic Conference bout in GA's favor, 80-74.
Hicks dropped 24 points as he shot 56.2% (9-of-16) from the floor. Hicks dished out six assists with three rebounds. Addison ended the evening with a double-double, as the power forward added 23 points and 15 rebounds with three assists and two steals. Fontanez and Patterson-Brown matched each other with ten points apiece. Fontanez had a double-double on the night as he also pulled down eleven assists with three rebounds and three steals.
As a team, Greater Allegheny shot 50% (30-for-60) from the floor alongside going 63.2% (12-for-19) from the free-throw line. The home team out-rebounded Brandywine 47-41, contributing to the PSUAC victory. GA unloaded 30 points in the paint aside from their 18 points off turnovers and ten fast break points.
The Greater Allegheny Lions (7-13, 4-7 PSUAC) will take a well-deserved rest before their next match-up. The Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up is set at Penn State Wilkes-Barre on Friday, January 30th, scheduled for a 8 p.m. tip-off after the women's match-up.
