Lions Gear up for Home Playoff Game After 96-81 Brandywine Trump

Media, Pa. - After posting a 96-81 Penn State University Athletic Conference breeze over Penn State Brandywine, the Penn State Greater Allegheny men's basketball team secured a home playoff game in Wunderley Gymnasium on Wednesday February 17th.

Senior guard Jashaun Fontanez (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) and sophomore forward Curtis Newby (Sharon, Pa./Sharon) were the first on the board for Greater Allegheny with made jumpers. Fontanez lofted a layup and one before sophomore guard Jeremy McMunn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) nailes a three-pointer, 10-4 GA a little over three minutes into the game.

Fontanez laid on a three-pointer himself before sophomore guard Khari Hicks (East Hills, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) put down a free-throw point. Sophomore guard Denzel Boyer-London (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) added a layup and three straight free-throw points before Newby completed a layup, 21-14 Lions. Brandywine worked their way back to take a one-point lead before freshman guard Jordon Payne (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) added a jumpshot and junior guard Moe Alli (Edison, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) downed a pair of free-throws.

Hicks battled for Greater Allegheny with a layup and a three-pointer to continue the back-and-forth action. Payne laid on points in the paint as McMunn hit another trey. Hicks and McMunn tacked on a layup each as Payne nailed a three-pointer, 42-37 Greater Allegheny. Alli put down a pair of free-throws while Payne and Fontanez road out the first half of action with two points each, 48-43 Greater Allegheny.

Fontanez came out quick with a layup before McMunn came in clutch with another pair of threes, lifting GA to a seven-point lead. Newby added four straight as McMunn and Fontanez put up back-to-back layups. McMunn continued outside the arc as Newby surged with a jumper, continuing the Lion swell to a 13-point showout.

Junior guard Jumanne Butler-McDaniel (Somerset, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) denoted a pair of jumpers before McMunn snapped with a three-pointer and a layup. Freshman forward Scott Przybysz (Elderton, Pa./West Shamokin) came off the bench for eight straight points before Payne secured the lead with a trio good free-throws. Fontanez added a layup while McMunn inflated with four more points. Freshman center Brannon Murphy (Pittsburgh, Pa./University Prep) sealed Greater Allegheny's victory with a made layup, sending Greater Allegheny home with a win 91-86.

McMunn ignited with a game-high 28 points with six three-pointers cashed in. Fontanez put up 16 points with four rebounds and four assists. Payne added 12 points with three boards, three assists and a steal while Newby added ten points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal.

As a team, Greater Allegheny (13-12, 11-5 PSUAC) posted 81.3% (13-of-16) of their shots from the foul line with 55.2% (37-of-67) of their shots going in from the floor and 45% (9-of-20) outside the arc. Although GA was out-rebounded 43-33, the men cashed in for 22 points off of 17 Brandywine turnovers and ten second-chance points.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre is now set to come to Greater Allegheny's Wunderley Gymnasium on Wednesday, January 17th for a 7 p.m. tip-off.