ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Behrend men's basketball senior Tommy DiRienzo (Pittsburgh, PA/Bethel Park) and sophomore Matthew McDonough (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) earned 2024 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Men's Basketball All-Conference honors.
DiRienzo was selected as the Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference, finishing the regular season as the AMCC leader with 468 points and first in the conference in free-throw percentage (83.7). He was also second in the conference in points per game (18.7) and fourth in the AMCC in field-goals per game (6.3).
To go along with his top-scoring mark, DiRienzo stood second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per game and 2.0 assists per game to conclude the regular season. This season, he recorded double-figures in 23 of 25 games and 16 of 18 conference games. During two contests this year, DiRienzo tallied 30-plus points, scoring a season-high 32 points against Baldwin Wallace. DiRienzo notched a double-double in four games, one of which was an AMCC game. He led the team in scoring in 14 games, in rebounding in five games, in assists in seven games, in steals in five games, and in blocks in nine games this season.
After two postseason games, he now leads the AMCC in points per game (18.9) and has amassed 509 total points this year. Also, DiRienzo recorded a double-double in the conference tournament, averaging 20.5 points per game and 12.5 rebounds per game to earn All-Tournament Team honors.
DiRienzo becomes the 12th player in program history to be named AMCC Player of the Year and the first since Kenny Fukon was selected as Co-Player of the Year in 2022.
McDonough earned All-AMCC Second Team honors after concluding the regular season tied for 12th in the AMCC and second on the team with 14.5 points per game. He tallied a conference-high 70 made three-pointers (2.9 per game) and was sixth in three-point percentage (40.9).
In AMCC play, McDonough ranked first with 2.8 three-pointers per game. He also stood second on the team in steals per game (1.0) and third in assists per game (1.9). In 18 games this season, McDonough registered double-figures, scoring 20-plus points in five contests and a season-high 28 points against Penn State Altoona and Mount Aloysius. He led the team in scoring in seven games, in assists in four games, in steals in 10 games, and in blocks in three games.
This marks the second time in their careers that both DiRienzo and McDonough have been recognized for end of the season honors as DiRienzo registered All-AMCC Second Team last season and McDonough was named 2023 Co-Newcomer of the Year.
The Lions will travel to Juniata to take on Saint Vincent in the Eastern Collegiate Athletics Conference (ECAC) Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 2.
February 28, 2024
Behrend Heads To Juniata To Face Saint Vincent in ECAC Quarterfinals
February 24, 2024
Top Seeded La Roche Gets Past Behrend in AMCC Finals, 80-69
February 14, 2024
Lions Outlast Alfred State in AMCC Game of the Week
February 10, 2024
Behrend Pulls Off Overtime Win at Altoona
February 7, 2024
Lions Take Regular Season Series from Hawks
February 6, 2024
Men’s Basketball Hosts Hilbert in Final Regular-Season Home Contest
February 5, 2024
Balanced Scoring Leads Behrend Past Wells
February 4, 2024
Lions, Express Meet for Second Time In Program History
February 3, 2024
Lions Prove Too Much for Panthers Saturday
February 2, 2024
Men’s Basketball Set To Honor Seniors vs. Pitt-Bradford
January 31, 2024
Lions Drop Overtime Thriller To La Roche, 71-69
January 24, 2024
Men’s Basketball Claims Fifth Straight Win At Carlow, 84-49
January 22, 2024
Festa, DiRienzo Named AMCC Athletes of the Week
January 20, 2024
Hot Shooting First Half Propels Lions Past Bobcats
January 19, 2024
Men’s Basketball Squares Off With Pitt-Greensburg Saturday
January 17, 2024
Four Lions Score In Double-Figures To Lead Behrend Past Pioneers
January 16, 2024
Lions Take on Alfred State In Midweek Matchup
January 12, 2024
Basketball Doubleheader vs. Wells Postponed
January 10, 2024
Strong Start Fuels Behrend Past Hilbert
January 5, 2024
Behrend Men’s Basketball Hosts Altoona Saturday
January 3, 2024
Panthers Pull Away From Lions In Second Half
December 8, 2023
Lions Set for Matchup With Mounties
December 6, 2023
La Roche Gets Past Behrend Men’s Basketball
December 2, 2023
Late Comeback Attempt Falls Short for Behrend At Pitt-Greensburg
November 29, 2023
Behrend Scores First Program Win Over Carlow Wednesday
November 28, 2023
Men’s Basketball Hosts Carlow for First Matchup in Program History
November 27, 2023
Behrend Basketball Takes AMCC Weekly Awards
November 25, 2023
Lions Fall for First Time This Season At Allegheny, 73-67
November 21, 2023
DiRienzo’s 32 Points Propels Behrend Past Baldwin Wallace In Overtime
November 18, 2023
Men’s Basketball Handles Carnegie Mellon, 87-77
November 17, 2023
Behrend Completes Three-Game Homestand vs. Carnegie Mellon
November 14, 2023
Behrend Sneaks By Blue Devils, 66-62
November 13, 2023
Men’s Basketball Welcomes Fredonia To The Junker Center
November 8, 2023
Lions Secure Opening Night Win Over Tomcats
November 7, 2023
Behrend Men’s Basketball Opens Season At Home vs. Thiel
November 2, 2023
Men’s Basketball Picked Third In AMCC Preseason Poll