Behrend Completes Three-Game Homestand vs. Carnegie Mellon

Behrend Completes Three-Game Homestand vs. Carnegie Mellon

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball completes its three-game homestand to start the season on Saturday, Nov. 18 against Carnegie Mellon. The game will begin at 4:00 p.m., following the women's game.

Coverage:

Video | Live Stats | Game Notes

Behrend News & Notes:

* The Lions scored a 66-62 victory over Fredonia Tuesday night
* In the second half, Tommy DiRienzo (Pittsburgh, PA/Bethel Park) knotted the score at 47 apiece with a made layup and three-pointer on back-to-back possessions with 8:03 left in the period
* Behrend would not look back after DiRienzo's consecutive baskets, making their free throws down the stretch to secure the victory
* DiRienzo led the way for the Lions with 19 points, shooting 7-13 from the field and 2-5 from beyond the arc
* Mason Blankenberg (Ontario, NY/Wayne) and Matthew McDonough (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) chipped in 13 and 12 points, while Blankenberg added two steals for Behrend
* On the glass, RJ Marsh (State College, PA/Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy) tallied a team-high 12 rebounds, which ties his career-high that he set against Manchester last season
* As a team, the Lions tallied more points off turnovers (19-11), points in the paint (32-18), and bench points (18-16) than the Blue Devils

Meet the Opposition:

* Carnegie Mellon has started the season with a 3-0 overall record
* Justin Allen leads the team with 25.7 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, and 5.3 assists per game. Other double-digit scorers for the Tartans are Buckley DeJardin (20.0 ppg) and R.J. Holmes (15.3 ppg)
* Holmes is tied for the team lead with 8.7 rebounds per game
* The Tartans return 11 players (three seniors) and welcome six newcomers this season
* Tony Wingen is in his 34th season as the head coach of the men's basketball program, notching an overall record of 364-443
* Last season, the Tartans finished with a 15-11 record, concluding their season against Allegheny in the ECAC Quarterfinals (88-68)
* Holmes and senior guard Jack Stone were selected to the 2022-23 All-University Athletic Association (UAA) Second Team

Series History:

* Behrend leads the all-time series 11-5, dating back to the 1984-85 season
* Last season, the Tartans were victorious at home against the Lions, 63-52