PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team fell to La Roche 51-47 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Saturday afternoon.

In back-and-forth battle, the Redhawks edged the Lions (16-7, 12-4 AMCC) despite shooting just 37.5 percent, including 0-for-12 from beyond the arc.

David Jackson got La Roche out to a fast start, scoring seven straight points to open the game. Following the 7-0 run by the Redhawks, Behrend answered with a 12-2 run of their own. The two teams traded buckets for the rest of the first half with La Roche holding a 23-19 lead at the break.

The defensive battle continued into the second half with neither team leading by more than six. At the 9:11 mark of the second twenty, the Redhawks were clinging to a 34-31 advantage, but back-to-back threes by Adam Palcic (Greensburg, PA/Greensburg Central Catholic) and Nick DeLisio (Aliquippa, PA/Central Valley) put the Lions up by three.

The turning point of the contest came with less than four minutes to play. After a Russ Conley (Transfer, PA/Reynolds) layup, Behrend had a 39-35 lead. La Roche came back with ten straight points to take all the momentum. The Lions got back within two points with 18 seconds left, but clutch free throws by the Redhawks sealed the victory.

DeLisio led all scorers with 17 points. Conley registered 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Behrend will be back in action on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Hilbert.