Men's Basketball Bounces Back with 74-69 Lehigh Valley Triumph

Allentown, Pa. - Coming off of a rough Penn State University Athletic Conference drop on Saturday, the Penn State Greater Allegheny men's basketball team overcame Penn State Lehigh Valley, Monday afternoon, by a 74-69 win.

Sophomore guard Curtis Newby (Sharon, Pa./Sharon) was the first on the board with the free-throw point as Lehigh Valley jumped out to a quick 9-1 lead over the course of the first four minutes of the game. Greater Allegheny began to work their way back. Newby added points in the paint as junior guard Moe Alli (Edison, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) and sophomore guard Jeremy McMunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) matched him. Freshman guard Jordon Payne (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) drained a three-pointer to cut the Lehigh Valley lead to five.

McMunn added another layup as senior guard Jashaun Fontanez (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) denoted two from the free-throw line. Newby put down another layup to take the first GA lead of the contest just seven minutes until halftime, 16-15.

Freshman forward Isaiah Fluker (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) inflated the Lions with a dunk and a jumper before sophomore guard Khari Hicks (East Hills, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) tacked on four points from the foul line, 24-22 GA. 

Freshman forward Scott Przybysz (Elderton, Pa./West Shamokin) put down four for the visiting team as sophomore guard Denzel Boyer-London (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) made a jumper to take back the lead. McMunn capped off the scoring drive for the first half, 32-28 Greater Allegheny lead.

Hicks came out in the second half with a layup before McMunn extended the Lion lead to seven with a good three, 37-30. McMunn, Fontanez and Payne continued with points in the paint as the trio contributed to the eleven point swell over the PSUAC foe, 43-34. Lehigh Valley seemingly worked their way all the way back to tie the game at 43 before Payne nailed the clutch pair of three-point shots to give a little room between the two teams.

Hicks and Payne traded three-pointers split up by a Fluker free-throw, 62-56. Fluker and McMunn both point up points in the paint before Fluker added another free-throw. Newby put up a layup as Payne tacked on three from the foul line. McMunn finished a layup to solidify a Lion Penn State University Athletic Conference victory.

Payne polished off a game-high 20 points with two boards, assists and steals alike. McMunn put up 15 points with seven steals, two boards and two assists as Hicks went 80% (4-of-5) from the free-throw line with 12 points, three assists and two rebounds. Fluker came off the bench for 11 rebounds, eight points and five steals.

As a team, Greater Allegheny shot 73.7% (14-of-19) from the foul line while downing 26 buckets from the floor. The team was severely out-rebounded 55-32. Lehigh Valley coughed up the ball 35 times, as Greater Allegheny managed to strive on 34 points. 

The Lions (10-9, 8-2 PSUAC) look forward to Friday, as they are set to travel to Penn State New Kensington for a 7 p.m. PSUAC tip-off.