Hot Shooting Lifts Lions

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team shot a season-high 64.2 percent from the floor to cruise past Franciscan 88-36 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Saturday afternoon.

For the first time all season, the Lions (15-6, 11-3 AMCC) had five players score in double figures while dominating the glass, 42-18.

The stingy Behrend defense held the Barons to just two points in the game's first 16 minutes.  On the other end, the Lions started the game on a 9-0.  After Franciscan scored their first points at the 12:32 mark, Behrend netted 23 straight points to push the lead to 32-2 and eventually 42-13 at the break. 

The Lions continued to dominate in the second half, allowing only six points through 15 minutes in the second twenty.  Behrend's offense stayed hot, going on another huge run midway through the second half.  The Lions scored 19 unanswered over a seven-minute span to take full command.  The 52-point victory is Behrend's largest margin of victory this season.

Shane Skelly (Westlake, OH/Westlake), Casey Courneen (Sewickley, PA/Quaker Valley), and Nick DeLisio (Aliquippa, PA/Central Valley) led the Lions' offense with 12 points each.  Keith Wallace (Erie, PA/Central Tech) and Russ Conley (Transfer, PA/Reynolds) each registered 10 points.

Behrend will be back on the hardwood on Monday at D'Youville.  Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.