(ERIE, PA:) After a back-and-forth first half that
featured six ties and seven lead changes, Penn State Behrend flexed its muscle
in the final period and ran away from visiting Penn State Altoona 77-61 Saturday afternoon at the
Junker Center. Behrend improved to 9-3 overall and 3-2 in the Allegheny
Mountain Collegiate Conference while Altoona dropped to 6-6 and fell to 3-2 in
AMCC play.
The Lions from Erie shot a blazing 57.4% from the field on the
day and connected on 14-23 second half buckets (60.9%) to outscore the
visitors 45-31 over the final 20 minutes. Behrend also won the turnover
battle and dominated the paint, gaining 20 points off 17 Altoona giveaways and
holding a 32-12 advantage in the three second area.
All-AMCC forward Kevin Buczynski was a force for Penn State
Behrend, scoring 20 points and grabbing five rebounds while shooting 50% from
the floor. Teammates Justin Kovac and Drew Seeker added 15 and 12 points,
respectively, and three other players tallied at least seven.
The host Lions held a slim 32-30 lead at intermission and the
advantage continued to see-saw early in the second half. But after Altoona
freshman Kirk Peters (Harrisburg, PA/Susquehanna Township) converted a lay up
that cut the deficit to 42-39 with 15:34 remaining, Behrend used a 9-0 run over
the next four minutes to boost the lead to double digits. The visitors
would get no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Penn State Altoona was led by junior guard Curtis Geiger
(Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) who finished with a team-high 18 points and four
rebounds. Senior forward Quintin Dziabo (Cresson, PA/Penn Cambria) added
15 points while junior Colin Geiger (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) contributed 13
off the bench. Both Geiger brothers scored 11 of their points in the first
half.
With the victory, Behrend now leads the all-time series 17-1
over Altoona. Buczynski's 20-point output moved him into third place on
the Penn State Behrend career scoring list.
Altoona, who hadn't played since a January 2 setback at Juniata,
will look to bounce back at home on Wednesday, January 16, when Frostburg State
visits the Adler Gym. Tip time is slated for 8:00 PM.
CONTACT: Penn
State Altoona Sports Information
Steve Crider -- SID
814-949-5173
sac310@psu.edu
