ERIE, Pa. – Malike Brinson (Erie, PA/Central Tech) shot 66.7 percent from three point range, tying a career-high 18 point performance while two other members of the Penn State Behrend men's basketball team reached double figures in a 69-50 victory over Mt. Aloysius in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Saturday afternoon.
Out of a total of 23 field goals the Lions (16-3, 11-1 AMCC) made, 17 of them were three pointers, marking nearly three fourths of Behrend's points coming from threes.
Brinson and Derrick Clark (Erie, PA/Central Tech) each decided to steal the show in both of the respected halves. Clark led things off for the Lions in the first half, shooting 4-of-5 from behind the arc to score 12 points. Clark ended with 14 points.
Brinson, on the other hand, recorded a career-best 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from three point range in the second half. He added four steals on the day.
Freshman Mitchell King (Pittsburgh, PA/Bishop Canevin) provided life off the bench for the Lions, notching a career-high 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.
After Josiah Jones hit a three to put the Mounties (4-15, 4-8 AMCC) ahead just over four minutes into the game, Behrend quickly stemmed the tide. The Lions went on a subsequent 17-1 run to take a 14 point lead. The spurt was keyed by nine Clark points, including three threes, over a five minute span.
Mt. Aloysius would bounce back, however, and following a Josiah Jones three-pointer with 50 seconds left in the half, Behrend's halftime lead would be cut to seven heading into the locker room, making the score 29-22. Jones scored 20 points in the first half, and was held to just six in the second.
Following a back and fourth start to the second half that saw the Mounties get as close as six, Behrend took control for good. The Lions went on a 16-5 run late in the second half to put the contest away.
Dan Wanker (Pittsburgh, PA/South Park) grabbed a game-high 11 boards while adding three assists and three points on the evening.
Behrend will be back in action at the Junker Center for when they battle Medaille on Wednesday, January 31 at 6 p.m.
