Men’s Basketball Come Up Short at Home

By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director

MONT ALTO, Pa. – The Penn State Mont Alto men's basketball team kept pace with visiting PSU York for the first 33 or so minutes of the game.  However, the visitors finished the final 7:38 of the game on a 23-12 run and took the season series in a 81-69 win on Friday night. The loss dropped Mont Alto to 12-12 overall and 6-9 in the PSUAC with its final game of the season against Penn State Hazleton being a must-win if the team is to play in the PSUAC Tournament. 

Inside the Box Score

• Jihad Warner (Philadelphia, Pa. / Swenson Arts and Technology) finished with his first career double-double with a team-high 16 points and 11 boards.
• Freshman guard Quintyn Flemister (Harrisburg, Pa. / Harrisburg) came off the bench and scored 15 points, had nine rebounds and an assist in 26 minutes. John Link (Hedgesville, W. Va. / Hedgesville) put up six points on a pair of three-pointers.
• Leading scorer Jalen Smith (Ranson, W. Va. / Jefferson) was held to just 12 points, but still shot 40 percent from the floor and had three blocks.
• Four of the five starters for PSU York finished in dounle figures with Justin Luton going for a team-high 16 points. Khalil White finished with 15 and Joey O'Dwyer hit 4-of-7 from downtown for 14 points.

How it Happened

• The gaame began with both teams trading baskets at a quick pace with tboth squads pounding the ball down low. Out of a timeout down 12-23, Mont Alto went on a 5-0 run, after which each team had a series of mini runs to finish the first half.
• PSU York took the 39-33 lead into halftime.
• Mont Alto raced out of halftime and went on a 10-0 run to take a 43-42 lead. The teams would trade baskets with PSUMA maintaining the lead until the 11:06 mark of the half when O'Dywer hit a three-pointer that sparked the visitors to a 57-52 lead.
• PSUMA were down by a point at 52-57, but a technical foul was called and York seized the momentum finishing on a 23-12 run for the 81-69 victory.  
• Mont Alto finished with a 50-35 rebounding advantage, but weren't able to capitalize. The team also shot just 10-of-23 (43.5%) from the free throw line.

The men's basketball team return to action on Monday, February 13 in a road game with PSU Hazleton. Tip-off for the final regular season finale of the 2017-18 season is slated for 8 p.m.