Hot Start Propels Lions Past Carnegie Mellon

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Nick Delisio (Aliquippa, PA/Central Valley) is having some kind of week.

After being named to the Bill Sudeck Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team on Tuesday, the Penn State Behrend junior scored a career-high 24 points in a 74-60 win over Carnegie Mellon on Saturday afternoon.

Nineteen of Delisio's 24 points came in the first half, which is where Dave Niland's Lions (8-2, 2-1 AMCC) did much of their damage. Behrend, who has now won three in a row, held the Tartans to just 31 percent shooting in the opening period and forced 11 turnovers. During the three game winning streak, the Lions have outscored their opponents by a combined 38 points in the first half.

With the game tied at seven early, the Lions began a 20-4 run to make things more comfortable. Behrend would take a 37-20 lead into the break.

The Lions began the second half by attacking Carnegie Mellon (6-4) underneath. Behrend's first six buckets of the closing session came by way of the layup. In addition, the Lions finished with a 40-30 point advantage in the paint.

Shane Skelly (Westlake, OH/Westlake) scored 10 second-half points and finished with 14 on the afternoon to go along with eight rebounds.

The closest the Tartans were able to climb to the Lions was 12, and that did not occur until there was just 1:57 left in the contest.

Keith Wallace (Erie, PA/Central Tech) scored 12 points with three assists, three steals, and four boards. Behrend out-rebounded yet another opponent, besting Carnegie Mellon 35-28 on the boards.

Casey Courneen (Sewickley, PA/Quaker Valley), who was named MVP of last week's holiday tournament, finished with six points and three assists.

Mike Knoll (Cathedral Prep/Erie, PA) chipped in six points and five boards, and freshman Wes Davic (Grafton, OH/Midview) scored five points with three boards and two assists. Davic was a perfect 3-for-3 from the foul line, and the Lions were 7-of-7 as a team from the stripe.

Behrend will return to Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference action when they travel to Pitt-Bradford on Wednesday, January 8 at 6 p.m.