ALTOONA, Pa. – Penn State Altoona men's basketball exacted revenge over Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Medaille College on Saturday afternoon for the Lions' loss to the Mavericks earlier this season in Buffalo, posting a 98-80 victory over Medaille in the Adler Arena.

The Lions' (13-5, 9-5 AMCC) defense and transition game were both important keys to the win. Penn State Altoona forced 24 turnovers and capitalized on them, outscoring Medaille (9-11, 7-8 AMCC) 32-6 in points off turnovers and 17-4 in fastbreak situations.

"What a great day to be a Lion and to be part of a great event. Huge conference win versus a very talented Medaille team that has had our number in past seasons – including earlier this year –  and being able to support Cathy Griffth and Sideline Cancer," said Penn State Altoona head coach David McGreal on his team's win on Sideline Cancer Day in the Adler Arena.

Jack Kusters (Quakertown, PA/Lansdale Catholic) and Robbie Hicks (Rockledge, FL/Rockledge) tied for the team lead in scoring, finishing with 19 points apiece for Penn State Altoona. Kusters also grabbed seven rebounds and distributed a team-high four assists, and Hicks recorded two boards and one block.

Austin Krise (Allport, PA/West Branch) posted 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Andruw Harman (Chesapeake, VA/Great Bridge) scored 13 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists, and team-high totals of four steals and three blocks. Cameron Gardner-Nicholson (Philadelphia, PA/Boys' Latin Charter) finished with 12 points and a team-leading nine rebounds.

Clevon Scott (Raeford, NC/Hoke County) notched a game-high four blocked shots while scoring five points and securing three boards. Nate Gillen (Johnstown, PA/Central Cambria) also scored five points, and Bryan Acosta (Orlando, FL/Wekiva) chipped in three assists.

"There were so many bright performances that I could go down the list. Cam, Druw, Jack, and Aus all played great, scored the ball well, and played tremendously on both ends. Trey [Butterworth] and Bryan continue to play well at the point guard position, setting up the offense and taking care of the ball," McGreal stated. "Robbie was tremendous, especially in the second half, and was huge part of our run. Clev had one of his most productive days on both ends, and Nate hit some big shots when we needed them."

Medaille got a game-high 24 points and 17 rebounds from Jonathan Smith, and Rodney Graves also finished with a double-double by totaled 16 points and 11 rebounds. Kendall McGill added 13 points for the Mavericks.

Penn State Altoona found itself leading by seven points at the conclusion of high-tempo first half that saw both teams combined for 93 points.

Down 11-10 at 13:28, Scott's three-pointer gave the Lions a two-point lead – one that the team would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Hicks, Acosta, and Gillen each connected from beyond the arc over the next two minutes, helping Penn State Altoona to a 22-13 advantage by 11:19. Layups from Krise, Harman, Gardner-Nicholson, and Scott increased the Lions' lead to 30-17 by 7:58.

Medaille worked back to within three points late in the first half, but back-to-back threes from Kusters gave Penn State Altoona some breathing room, expanding the home team's lead to 44-35 with 2:14 left in the period. Two free throws by Mason Marks (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) and baskets from Gillen and Kusters helped the Lions reach 50 points, and the team went into the locker room up 50-43.

Penn State Altoona started the second half on a big run, turning its seven-point advantage into a 19-point lead. Two dunks from Gardner-Nicholson and a three-pointer and two-point jumper from Harman sparked the run. Kusters added two free throws and a jump shot, and Hicks connected from three-point range at 13:47 to give the Lions a 66-47 lead.

After Medaille pushed back, Hicks' layup and foul shot at 10:09 kept Penn State Altoona ahead by double digits, 73-62, and his three-pointer shortly thereafter upped his team's lead to 14 points. Threes from Hicks and Krise kept the Lions' offense clicking to an 88-71 lead by the 5:28 mark, and Penn State Altoona went on to lead by as many as 24 points, when Trevor Hunter's (Baltimore, MD/New Town) jumper made it 98-74 at 1:40.

"This is a huge win for us for a multitude of reasons. We keep climbing up the standings, it guarantees us a winning record for the regular season, and it keeps us rolling in the right direction," said McGreal. "Now, we have to focus on getting revenge against Greensburg for one that we let slip away earlier in the year."

Next up, Penn State Altoona men's basketball travels this Wednesday, February 5 to face AMCC foe Pitt-Greensburg in a game tipping off at 6:00 p.m.