ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team edged branch rival Penn State Altoona 69-68 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action Saturday afternoon.
Andy Niland (Fairview, PA/Fairview) and Connor McLaughlin (Ashtabula, OH/Edgewood) led the Lions (6-1, 3-1 AMCC) to their second straight conference win.
Niland scored a career-high 18 points on 6-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also added eight dimes and four steals. McLaughlin drained six buckets for 16 more points with four triples of his own to aid in the defeat of the cross-state Lions (1-6, 0-4 AMCC).
This one-point game came right down to the wire. After two made free throws by Altoona's Anton Lucas with just over five minutes to play, the game was tied at 53-all and would set up for an exciting finish.
Behrend quickly broke the tie. Five points from Niland, three from Zane Hackett (Brookville, PA/Brookville) and a basket from Malquan Pullium (Erie, PA/Strong Vincent) put the Lions on a 10-0 run in the next two minutes.
Altoona clawed their way back in the final minute, forcing Behrend to shoot free throws to seal the victory. The Lions made six from the charity stripe in the final minute to hold the lead. Michael Wigfield hit three triples in between Behrend points, including one at the final buzzer, but the effort fell just short and the Erie Lions were able to hold on.
The Behrend 10-0 run in the second half was a familiar sight in the first half. The first was full of runs that kept the game close. Just over two minutes in, Altoona went on an 8-0 run to take a 10-3 advantage. The Lions quickly answered with a 12-0 run of their own to regain the lead.
Once again, after trading baskets for the next six minutes, Behrend went on a 9-0 run to close out the half with a 30-24 advantage.
The Lions had four players score in double figures for the second straight game, led by their strong shooting from three. Behrend dropped triples for 10 of their 23 buckets that sparked their three big runs and stopped runs from Altoona, giving the Lions important momentum.
Behrend has a break in their action during the holidays, but return to the court Saturday, January 2. They host Case Western Reserve in the Junker Center with a 2 p.m. tip.
