Mont Alto Men’s Basketball Impress on Blue and White Appreciation Night

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

MONT ALTO, Pa. – The Penn State Mont Alto men's basketball team fed off the crowd energy on Tuesday night and did not disappoint in a 73-62 win over PSU Hazleton. With the conference victory, Mont Alto improves to 17-3 overall and 13-1 in the PSUAC.

The PSUMA campus celebrated a Blue and White Appreciation Night honoring all staff, faculty and students as there was a Spirit Competition during halftime of the men's game.

Inside the Box Score

• Mont Alto was the better shooting squad knocking down 43.9 percent from the field and 6-of-19 from 3-point range.  The team also held a 46-37 advantage in rebounds over PSU Hazleton (7-11, 7-7 PSUAC).
• Darrius Bush (Martinsburg, W.Va. / Spring Mills) had a breakout performance netting his first collegiate double-double with a career-best 18 points and 10 rebounds. Fellow freshman Nate Osei (Frederick, Md. / Frederick) netted a collegiate-best 14 points as he knocked down 2-of-4 from downtown.
• Penn State Hazleton hit 9-of-31 from beyond the arc as Robbie Hopkins played all 40 minutes for the visitors scoring 25 points. He knocked down seven triples.

How it Happened

• Mont Alto started slow allowing the visitors to take an early 6-1 advantage, but they began to play at their tempo and led 14-12 after a Bush layup. Mont Alto continued to surge ahead taking a 22-16 lead before Hazleton knocked down a pair of triples to tie the score at 24 points apiece with 7:21 left in the half.
• PSUMA went on a 9-0 run and twice held leads of 15 points or more as they went into the halftime break up 43-28. They came out fired up and continued to build on their lead holding what turned out to be the largest of the game (58-37) after a Nevaes Gordon (Frederick, Md. / Thomas Johnson) reverse layup.
• Hazleton used multiple 3-pointers to once again cut into the PSUMA deficit and trimmed it to 12-points at 64-52 with 3:50 left. John Teague (Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown) converted on an old fashioned 3-point play to halt all momentum. Despite shooting 56.3 percent from the free throw line, PSUMA hit on their free throws down the stretch.

Penn State Mont Alto returns to action on Friday and can secure the No. 1 seed in the PSUAC West in a pivotal matchup with Greater Allegheny. Tip-off for the road game is slated for 8 p.m.