Newsome Scores Career High 17 in Loss to Villa Maria
The Penn State Greater Allegheny Men's Basketball team fell to Villa Maria on Friday 93-68 in non-conference action. Senior Mhonte Newsome scored a career high 17 points while picking up seven rebounds in the loss.
McKeesport, PA. – The Penn State Greater Allegheny Men’s Basketball Team (4-4, 1-3) fell in non-conference action on Friday to Villa Maria (9-1, 0-0) 93-68. It was a big game for senior Mhonte Newsome (Baltimore. MD./Our Lady of Sacred Heart) who scored a career high 17 points in the loss to lead PSUGA’s offensive attack.
PSUGA took the early advantage in this one scoring the first six points of the contest before allowing Villa Maria to get on the board. After PSUGA extended it’s lead to 9-5 with 15:38 left in the first half, the Vikings went on a 6-2 run to take a 13-11 lead and extended it with another 8-0 run that put them ahead 21-11 halfway through the first half.
Villa Maria just kept piling the offense on as the first half came to a close out scoring PSUGA 25-18 over the final 10 minutes of the first half and they went into the locker room up 46-29. Newsome and fellow senior Jordon Payne (McKeesport, PA./McKeesport HS) each led the team in the first half with eight points a piece. PSUGA was looking for a way to generate some more offense and get themselves back into the game.
They got more offense, scoring 37 points compared to 29 first half points, but were unable to over take the Vikings. PSUGA’s defense gave up 47 points over the final 20 minutes of play leading to the 93-68 loss. The offense got back over the 60 point mark after scoring only 54 points against Penn State Mont Alto on Wednesday, but they are still looking for the offensive success they had in the beginning of the season when they scored back-to-back 120+ point games.
Newsome led the offense with his new collegiate career high scoring 17 points while picking up one assist and seven rebounds in the loss. Payne followed right behind him with 13 and Makis Rivera (Pittsburgh, PA./Imani Christian Academy) rounded out the double digit scoring with 10 points on the day.
PSUGA has now dropped their past four games and is looking for a way to turn things around before they enter the Christmas break. With one more conference contest looming before the three-week break, PSUGA will have one more chance to get back into the win column and head into the break with momentum.
They will finish their first half taking on Penn State DuBois on Saturday December 15th at 3 p.m. as part of a Men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader. The offense is looking to come alive as the team heads towards the Christmas break.
