(LORETTO, PA:)
Saint Francis bolted to a 10-0 lead and shot 53% from the field en route to a 95-45 win over visiting Penn State Altoona in an exhibition
contest Saturday night at DeGol Arena. The Division I Red Flash improved
to 2-0 in exhibition play after downing Juniata College 65-46 on October 31,
although the game will not count toward either team's regular season record.
Four Red Flash players reached double
digit scoring led by sophomore Devin Sweetney's 19 points on 7-11 shooting.
Cale Nelson chipped in 13 points, all in the first half, while teammates Chris
Berry and Kyle Jackson contributed 11 points apiece.
The visiting Lions were limited to just 15
field goals and 37% shooting for the game. Seniors Mike Dancer
(Montgomeryville, PA/North Penn) and Quintin Dziabo (Cresson, PA/Penn Cambria)
were the Lions' top scorers with nine points each. Altoona was
out-rebounded 39-23 by a Red Flash squad that forced the Lions into 25
turnovers.
Every player on both rosters registered at
least six minutes of floor time. SFU made 21 trips to the charity stripe,
connecting on 16 of those attempts. Twenty-three of the 36 Red Flash field
goals were assisted and 50 of its 95 points came in the painted area. SFU
also received 31 points off second chance opportunities.
Penn State Altoona didn't score its first points of the
game until freshman Fran Kuntz (Camp Hill, PA/Trinity) converted a lay up six
minutes into the game.
Trailing 18-4 at the 11:08 mark, Dancer connected on three straight triples,
scoring nine of the
Lions' next 11 points to cut the deficit to 25-15 with 8:54 left in the opening
half. But the Red Flash would close the period on a 26-9 run capped off by
a Chris McFarland lay up as time expired to stake a 53-24 lead at intermission.
SFU used a 12-0 spurt midway through the second half that
rocketed the lead to more than 40.
The Red Flash and Lions met last year in Loretto with the
hosts earning an 82-41 win. Dziabo was the leading scorer for Altoona in
that game with seven points.
The Lions will scrimmage Washington & Jefferson next
Saturday, November 10, in Washington, PA, before regular season action begins on
November 16 and 17 at the Lycoming College Tip-Off Tournament. Saint
Francis opens its 2007-2008 campaign at home on November 10 against American
University.
CONTACT: Penn
State Altoona Sports Information
Steve Crider -- SID
814-949-5173
sac310@psu.edu
