Strong Second Half Pushes Lions Past Pitt-Bradford

ERIE, Pa. -- Eight is great, but nine is just fine.

Nick DeLisio (Aliquippa, PA/Central Valley) scored 19 points – including several clutch shots – to help the Penn State Behrend men's basketball team win their ninth straight, 69-57, over Pitt-Bradford on Thursday night at the Junker Center.

One of DeLisio's buckets, a floater at the first half buzzer, stole the momentum away from the scrappy Panthers and tied the game at 25 going into the break.

Wes Davic (Grafton, OH/Midview) scored seven points in a tight opening period that saw the lead change five teams. Behrend's largest advantage was four, Bradford's was just three.

Directly out of the second half gate, the Lions went to work. Shane Skelly (Westlake, OH/Westlake) hit two free throws. Mike Knoll (Erie, PA/Cathedral Prep) hit a medium range jumper, and Casey Courneen drilled a trey to put Behrend up four. Courneen entered the game leading all of Division III in three-point shooting at a blistering 54.9 percent.

The Panthers, though, were resilient all evening. Brandon McClester scored five straight Pitt-Bradford points to tie the contest at 43 with 9:53 left.

Courneen immediately answered with another dagger from deep, and the Lions eventually matched their largest lead of the game (six) at the 7:17 mark.

Bradford responded again and cut Behrend's lead to two with 3:55 left on a pair of Tyler Fantaskey free throws.

With so many runaway wins this season, the Lions have seldom been tested late in the game. But on this night, things went like clockwork for Dave Niland's crew.

With 3:27 remaining, Skelly hit two foul shots, then a layup. DeLisio followed with a massive and-one to put Behrend up nine.

Skelly finished with 12 points. The senior was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line and has now hit 27 of his last 31 free throw attempts dating back to January 12.

Keith Wallace's (Erie, PA/Central Tech) foul shot with 46 seconds left put the Lions up 10, and they would go on to win by 12. Wallace, who displayed his lightning-like quickness on both ends of the floor, finished with seven points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Zane Hackett (Brookville, PA/Brookville) led Behrend on the glass with eight rebounds.

With the victory, the Lions held their fifth straight opponent under 60 points. Behrend entered Thursday's game fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 58.2 points per game.

The Lions will travel to Pitt-Greensburg on Saturday, January 25 at 1 pm.