ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team opens its season at the Junker Center with a matchup against Thiel. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Coverage:
Video | Live Stats
Behrend News & Notes:
* The Lions welcome back 12 returners from last season, including six seniors and their starting five
* Behrend adds four freshmen to the roster this year
* Head coach Dave Niland enters his 29th season at the helm
* Last season, the Lions finished with an overall record of 11-16 and 5-9 in conference play. Behrend defeated Pitt-Greensburg in the first round of the AMCC Tournament, before falling to the eventual AMCC Champion La Roche in the semifinals
* The Lions were selected to finish third in the 2023-24 AMCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, behind Penn State Altoona and the defending champion Redhawks
* Two key returners this season for Behrend are senior guard Tommy DiRienzo (Pittsburgh, PA/Bethel Park) and sophomore guard Matthew McDonough (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny)
* DiRienzo was named All-AMCC Second Team a season ago after leading the team with 16.7 points per game and was second in rebounds per game (7.4)
* McDonough earned Co-Newcomer of the Year honors, averaging 9.8 points per game and setting a new school record with 10 three pointers in a single game during his first collegiate season
Meet the Opposition:
* Thiel was picked to finished fifth in the 2023-24 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Preseason Poll, receiving 66 points and two first-place votes
* Four Tomcats were named as PAC Players To Watch: Marlon Ellerbee, Rayshod Hooper, Elijah Harden, and Mike Brown
* Ellerbee notched All-PAC Honorable Mention honors last season, leading the team in points (364), free throws (110), assists (86) and points per game (14.6)
* Last season, Thiel finished with a 13-12 overall record and 11-9 record in PAC play. The Tomcats beat Geneva in the quarterfinals of the PAC Championship (99-84), but eventually fell to Allegheny in the semifinals (106-66)
* Tom Loomis begins his 18th as the Tomcats head men's basketball coach
Series History:
* Behrend leads the series 33-18, dating back to the 1974-75 season
* The Lions have won the last five matchups against the Tomcats, winning 65-50 on the road last season
