Schuylkill Haven, Pa. - Through a second-half surge for the Penn State Greater Allegheny Lions, the men took a 79-75 Penn State University Athletic Conference decision over Penn State Schuylkill, Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore forward Curtis Newby (Sharon, Pa./Sharon) accounted for the first three jump shots before sophomore guard Jeremy McMunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) placed a jumper himself, 8-8. Senior guard Jashaun Fontanez (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) put up two free-throws before Newby added another jumper. Sophomore guard Denzel Boyer-London (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) and McMunn both added jumpers before junior guard Moe Alli (Edison, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) put one down himself, Schuylkilll in the lead 19-18 with just eleven minutes until halftime.
Schuylkill swelled to a nine-point lead as Alli and freshman guard Jordon Payne (McKeesport, -Pa./McKeesport) drained jumpers, 27-24. McMunn piled on a three-pointer before Payne mirrored him and added a jumper, taking back the Greater Allegheny lead with four minutes to play, 32-31. Fontanez tallied four points as Boyer-London and junior forward Jumanne Butler-McDaniel (Somerset, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) downed free-throw points to send the two teams into the break with Schuylkill leading 41-38.
McMunn and Butler-McDaniel placed jumpers before Schuylkill found themselves on another swell, this time, 51-42 in the first five minutes of the second half. McMunn ignted with a jumper and one as Alli, McMunn and freshman forward Isaiah Fluker (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) peppered the Schuylkill defense with jumpers, tying the game at 51.
Fluker and McMunn continue with the jumpers as Fontanez and Newby surplused GA with made free-throws. Payne and Alli nailed jumpers before Payne extended the Greater Allegheny lead to four with a hammer of a three-pointer, 66-62 with five minutes remaining in regulation.
Alli and Butler-McDaniel put up two points each as Payne silenced the home crowd with another trey, 73-69. Fontanez compiled five points within the final minutes of the contest, as Boyer-London solidified the win with a free-throw bucket, GA in the drivers seat 79-75.
With the win, the Greater Allegheny Lions have locked up their first play-off berth in the past ten seasons.
McMunn inflated with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Alli put up a double-double with 13 boards and 12 points as Payne lit up for 15 points, five assists and a steal. Fontanez put up 80% (8-of-10) of his shots from the foul line for 12 points, four boards and two assists.
As a team, Greater Allegheny out-rebounded Schuylkill 50-37 while the Lions shot 61.9% (13-of-21) from the foul line while added 31 buckets from the floor. GA lifted the tally with 20 points off second-chance and 16 points off turnovers.
Gretaer Allegheny (12-12, 10-5 PSUAC) looks forward to their final regular season game of the year, as the men's and women's teams travel to Penn State Brandywine for a final Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. Click here for live stats. Click here for video.
