PSUGA Men’s Basketball Has Three Receive PSUAC Honors
Three PSUGA Men's Basketball Team members were named to post season honors on Sunday. Jordon Payne was named 1st Team All-Conference, Curtis Newby was named 2nd Team All-Conference, and head coach Tyler Care was named PSUAC Coach of the Year.
McKeesport, Pa. – The Penn State Greater Allegheny Men’s Basketball Team (19-7, 13-3) had three of its members receive Penn State University Athletic Conference honors on Sunday as the PSUAC Championship Games were being played. This season now marks three straight seasons in which PSUGA has had three award recipients for PSUAC honors.
Jordan Payne (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) received PSUAC 1st Team All-Conference, Curtis Newby (Sharon, Pa./Sharon HS) received PSUAC 2nd Team All-Conference, and Head Coach Tyler Care received the PSUAC Coach of the Year Award. All three men were instrumental in leading PSUGA in this historic 2017/2018 season, and look to hopefully continue that journey with United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Bid day on Tuesday.
Payne has been one of the top scorers in all of the PSUAC this season finishing fourth in the conference in points per game, 19.7, and first in three-point shooting percentage, 44.0. Payne scored 511 points throughout the course of the season setting a new career high and is currently just 29 points away from breaking the all-time scoring record at PSUGA.
Payne has won a slew of awards since coming to PSUGA in the 2015/2016 season. He was named PSUAC Newcomer of the Year that season and followed that up with a PSUAC Honorable Mention in his Sophomore Season. This year is Payne’s first 1st Team All-Conference Award as the McKeesport native looks for continued success.
Newby claims his second all-conference award and his first second-team ballot. Newby finished the season tied for the conference lead in rebounds per game (10.0) while leading the conference in total rebounds with 259. Newby collected 14 double-doubles in his 26 games played this season and has been a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball.
Newby was named first team all-conference a season ago and has made history this season. He surpassed Petrie Addison as the all-time rebounding leader at PSUGA and currently holds the record with 832. He is also the record holder for rebounds in a single game with 22, a mark that he hit in the 2015/2016 season.
Care takes home his first PSUAC Coach of the Year Award after his third straight season with at least 14 wins. Since Care has taken over the program back in the 2014/2015 season, he has completely changed the culture and helped turn a program with a 9-17 record to a program that has made the playoffs three straight seasons.
Care is the winningest coach in PSUGA history with an overall record of 64-44 including a conference championship and a USCAA bid. Care is also the first coach in PSUGA history to win the PSUAC Coach of the Year Award. Care also serves as PSUGA’s Recruiting Coordinator a position he took this year.
PSUGA still has a chance to extend their season with USCAA National Bid day on Tuesday. The PSUAC Champions PSU-Brandywine and host school PSU-Fayette will both get a guaranteed bid and PSUGA has a chance to get one of the six remaining at large bids.