ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team began the 2022-23 season with a 65-50 win over the Thiel Tomcats on Tuesday night.

Score: Penn State Behrend 65, Thiel 50

Records: Penn State Behrend (1-0), Thiel (0-1)

Key Moments:
* The Lions have defeated the Tomcats in the season opener three years in a row
* Behrend had a double-digit lead after the first half (32-15)
* Thiel outscored the Lions by two in the second half, but could not overcome the first-half deficit
* Tommy DiRienzo (Pittsburgh, PA/Bethel Park) was the lone Behrend player in double-digit points with a game-high 18
* RJ Marsh (State College, PA/Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy) added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds
* The Lions had nine different players score, including four newcomers registering their first points in a Behrend uniform
* Mason Blankenberg (Ontario, NY/Wayne) and Matthew McDonough (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) contributed nine and eight points, respectively
* McDonough opened his collegiate career with a triple in the first 25 seconds of the game to keep the Lions out in front for good from the start
* From behind the arc, the Behrend held a 9-1 three-point field-goal advantage

Up Next:

* The Lions return to action on Saturday at Bethany. Game time is 2 p.m.