Friday, February 27, 2009
Men's basketball team advances to AMCC semifinal game
By Shawn Annarelli
conoilniting writer
sill:15189(a p.u.rdu
The Behrend Lions 117-K. 13-5)
outplayed. outwitted, and outlast
ed the Panthers from Pitt-Bradford
116-10. 13-5) to a 73-66 victory.
In cloing so, the Lions have
placed themselves comfortably as
the number two seed in this sea
son's AMCC tournament.
The boys from Behrend
avenged an earlier season loss
against Pitt-Bradford, splitting
Top: heshman Stere n , commands the &Ilium( offense.
Bottom: freshman Pat St. Ambews
,Freda the wbound and sectors the ball
Rachel is
still in the
lead while
Connor is
three games
behind her.
Christine
had a huge
week last
week and is
one win in
front of
Nick. Matt
comes in
last place.
Want to
play?
Email
censos6@ps
u.edu for a
list of next
week's
games to see
if you can
"beat the
experts".
their reiatilar season contests 1-1
During pre-game warm-ups,
tension tilled the air as each side
of the court featured opposing
teams preparing to play for the
second seed in the AMCC tourna
ment, and to go along with it, the
perk of a first round bye.
Senior Behrend players Toni
Newman and Drew Seker were
suitably introduced, with their
parents at their sicL before tip-off
in recognition of their basketball
careers at Penn State Behrend.
Head coach Dave Niland said
short and sweet' of these two
Beat The Experts
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Indiana (a Penn State
#2O Illinois 01 #9 Michigan St
#4 Memphis (a . Southern Miss
#IB LSU <n Kentucky
Florida (a Tennessee
#lO Marquette Ca . #1 Pittsburgh
#l4 Wake Forest (a Maryland
Bowling Green Or Akron
Buffalo (a Kent State
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Penn State 01) #l4 Ohio State Ohio St
Miss. St. Alabama
#II Duke Ca' #lO North Carolina UNC
#4 Standlord (a) UCLA
Washington St. (4 , Arizona St
Oregon (a) Oregon St
Virginia Tech (a' Georgia Tech
lowa (a' Northwestern
Pittsburgh OP #8 Louisville
Season Totals:
young men, "You are not going
to find two finer guys than Tom
and Drew; great students, leaders,
and players
Over the course of their colle
giate careers they have each accu
mulated a GPA of over 3.6,
accrued an 82-29 record over the
last four seasons, and claimed
their spot as champions of the
AMCC by winning last year's
AMCC tournament.
In the Junker center, before a
packed crowd of 1,192 fans,
Newman and Seker led their team
into a battle of will against Pitt-
Bradford.
The Lions would face a tall
mountain to climb from the start
of the contest after failing to
record a basket during their first
six of seven possessions, and
falling behind the Panthers 2-10
in the first six and a half minutes
of the game.
To make matters worse,
Newman and fellow Behrend
starter Adam Potter tell into early
foul trouble and were taken out of
the game for a good majority of
the first half.
"I can't say enough about how
hard our freshmen played coming
off the bench in their, [Newman
and Potters). absence," said
Seker. "Once we got Adam and
Tom back, our energy picked up."
The Behrend men were cbwn by
I I points at the end of the first
half 26-35.
Pitt-Bradford's Sam Moore and
Dan Heisey had nearly run away
with the game in the first half.
They were forces as Moore led
all players with rebounds, and
Connor Matt
Penn St
Penn St
Mi. St
Mi. St
Memphis
Memphis
Kentucky
Florida
Florida
Pittsburgh Marquette
Wake F. Wake F
Buffalo
Buffalo
Penn St
Alabama
A I abzuu a
Stanford Stanford
Arizona St. Wa s h. St
Oregon
Oregon
V. Tech
G. Tech
Northwestern lowa
Louisville Louisville Louisville Louisville
65-42 58-49 68-39 64-43
SPORTS
Heisey led in points. Heisey
scored 19 points and admirably
recorded seven rebounds, while
Moore scored a very respectable
15 points and came down with
nine rebounds, all off of the
defensive board.
To begin the second half of
play, the Lions came out more
aggressive than they ever have.
Their fearless style of play drew
three early fouls against Pitt-
Bradford starter Zach Moore, older
brother of teammate Sam Moore.
Over the first 12 minutes of
play, the Lions methodically bat
tered and bruised the Panthers
team into submission.
Kaiser was brilliantly active on
each side of the court, as Newman
led the Lions assertive play on
offense and Seker did the same on
the defensive side.
With 13:36 left to play the
Lions began what was to become
a stunning comeback.
The next six minutes would
quite possibly prove to be the
Lions finest of the season as they
went on a 12-3 run and finally
took their first lead of the game
48-47.
The remaining seven minutes
and 43 seconds of the game
unraveled as each side sprinted and
bullied their way until the final
buzzer.
The ever resilient foes clawed
back and forth as Penn State
Behrend held off the Panthers
onslaught until there was only
2:10 left to play.
The Panthers Sam Moore drew
a foul against Newman and con
nected on one of two free throws
for Pitt Bradford to regain the lead
6I -60.
The Lions were not to be
denied, though. Behrend's Chris
Saltsman outmuscled the
Panthers Moore brothers to
rebound his own shot and put it
back up for two, giving the Lions
the lead again 62-61.
Pitt Bradford would not be able
to recover as the Lions forced
them to intentionally commit
five fouls in the final half minute
of regulation.
As if they were made of stone
cold ice, the Behrend men con
nected on nine out of 10 free
throws due to the five Panther
fouls.
The Lions finished off Pitt
Bradford 73-66 for the second seed
in the AMCC tournament.
Newman finished his last regu-
Rachel
Indiana
Mi. St
Memphis
Tennessee
Pittsburgh
Wake F
B. Green
Kent St
Ohio St
Miss. St
Stanford
Arizona St
Oregon St
V. Tech
Northwestern lowa
Christine Nick
Penn St
Penn St
Illinois
Mi. St
So. Miss
Memphis
Florida
Marquette
Pittsburgh
Maryland
Wake F
B. Green
Buffalo
Kent St
Ohio St
Ohio St
Alabama
Alabama
Stanford
UCLA
Wash. St
Wash. St
Oregon St
Oregon
V. Tech
G. Tech
Louisville
63-44
lar season game shooting four of
five from the field, II total
points, and a team leading Ike
rebounds, despite playing for
only 27 minutes.
Fellow senior Seker played an
integral role in &lending against
the Panthers offense nisi& and
around the key. Seker blocked
two Panther shots, stole a pass,
scored eight points, and caused
chaos tbr any Panther near his
Saltzman led Behrend with I 6
points, Kaiser contributed 12. and
Newman added I I in the victor
against Pitt-BradlOrd.
"At this time of the season, it's
going to come down to who
DANIEL SMlTHrtheßehrentlßeacon
Junior A (kon Auiser looks ahead while rhihbling.
IYlM;ff=ffl
SPORTS SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
The Men's Tennis 11-1) team plays Westminster at home
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28
The Swimming and Diving team compete at the ECAC
Championships in Boston.
The Women's and Men's Indoor Track team compete at the Marietta
Open at 10 a.m.
The Men's Basketball team (17-8) play in the AMC(' Semifinal
game at 8 p.m. against the winner of Pitt-Bradford and La Roche
The Baseball team plays in Roanoke. VA at 12 p.m
SUNDAY, MARCH 1
The ECAC Championship continues tOr the Swimming
The Baseball team plays in Roanoke. VA again at 12 p.m
TUESDAY, MARCH 3
The Men's Basketball team plays in the ECAC/NCAA Tournament
LAST WEEK'S
SPORTS
A /I wins in italic text
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21
M. Tennis: Behrend 9 Waynesburg 0
W. Basketball: Behrend 84 Pitt-Bradford 74
M. Basketball: Behrend 73 Pitt-Bradford 66
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24
W. Basketball: Behrend 60 Medallic. 69
All scores based from Sports Calendar and indi \ idual team par results. It our sport
is not listed and you feel that it should he. contact cisso6(napsu.edu
The Behrend Beacon I 9
\vants it more," said Newman.
"If we play as hard as we can and
leave it all On the court. we will
he where we want to he."
In regarch to the game, Kaiser
said, "I think the key to our win
tonight was our defense and the
ability to take care of the ball,
limiting our turnovers...
The Lions furred II Panther
turnovers, while committing just
three of their own.
The Lions play the Panthers in
the AMCC semifinals against the
ginner of the Pitt-Bradford and La
Roche game. Whoever wins this
hest out of three matchup will
play for the AMCC
Championship on Saturaty.
home games in bold
at 4 p.m
and Divine team
at 'rBA