by McKenzie Quirin

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's basketball team suffered their first loss of the new year Saturday night, falling 86-48 against Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Penn State Behrend at the Junker Center.

In tonight's loss, Penn State Altoona (5-8, 4-2 AMCC) committed 18 turnovers in the game, including eight in the first half, as the Lions found themselves down by eight going into halftime. Penn State Behrend (8-5, 3-3 AMCC) jumped out to an early 6-0 lead and steadily grew it throughout the game, with their largest lead hitting 41, to deal Penn State Altoona the loss.

Justin Sheetz (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) finished the night with 16 points, as well as two rebounds and two steals, while Mason Bush (Pittsburgh, PA/Seneca Valley) added 11 points, five rebounds and one steal.

Matthew McDonough led Penn State Behrend with 28 points in their victory, along with four rebounds and two steals. With 21 points, Tommy DiRienzo was second in double-digit points for the night as he added five rebounds. Penn State Behrend also got 10 points and six rebounds from Michael Sopko to end the night with a win.

Penn State Behrend got off to a strong start to the first quarter, outscoring Penn State Altoona 6-1 over the first three minutes of the period. A free throw by Bush helped the Lions get a point in on a powerful Behrend offense, and Sheetz's jumper and Bush's layup and free throw helped the Lions tie the game at six apiece. A jump shot made by Behrend's RJ Marsh extended their lead to 8-6, putting Penn State Altoona back down by two. Jahmar White's (Yigo, Guam/St. Paul Christian School) jump shot tied the game back up at eight, immediately sixteen seconds after Behrend's previous scoring play.

Going back and forth with scoring opportunities, Penn State Altoona and Behrend found themselves at a few ties, including one at 11 points and 13 points. A Sheetz three-pointer put the Lions ahead three, 16-13, as time clocked down towards the halfway point of the half. Although Behrend got the score within one, the Lions helped their case with a Jarrett Gardner (Live Oak, FL/Suwannee) layup, leading 18-15. Sopko put Behrend up one point ahead of Penn State Altoona from a jump shot at the 7:47 mark, after play slowed down. Nearing the five-minute mark of the period, Sheetz's free throw tied the game at 19 and got the Lions back in it. As the Lions battled back, Penn State Behrend found a way to continue their offensive push as they hit 30 points, giving Penn State Altoona an eight-point deficit. White's three-point jump shot helped Penn State Altoona get within six, but the Lions went into the second quarter facing a 38-30 deficit.

Braelen Cage (Lorton, VA/Hayfield Secondary) hit a three-pointer early in the second half, helping Penn State Altoona get to within five, 38-33, by 18:14. Penn State Behrend's offense was too much for the Lions as they continued to put up the points, extending their lead to 56-35 with less than 13 minutes to go in the game. Free throws by Abiah Charles (Orlando, FL/Wekiva) and Gardner allowed Penn State Altoona to cut their deficit to 21, and Donovan Prophet (Sandy Spring, MD/Sherwood) made a layup with 52 seconds left in the game. But Penn State Altoona managed just 18 points in the second half, and the Lions fell by a final score of 86-48.

Next up, Penn State Altoona men's basketball returns home against AMCC opponent Carlow on Wednesday, January 10, at 7:30 p.m.