Posted: Jan 17, 2020
By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director
DuBois, Pa. – The Penn State Mont Alto men's basketball team didn't put away a pesky PSU DuBois squad until the last two minutes of the game as the visitors held on for the 65-58 win on Friday. Mont Alto won it's 12th straight and was recently ranked as the No. 5 team in the most recent USCAA Division II Coaches Poll.
Inside the Box Score
- Mont Alto had the better field goal percentage shooting 44.6 percent, but PSU DuBois stayed within striking distance all night long thanks to connecting on 7-of-22 (31.8%) attempts from downtown.
- PSUMA outrebounded DuBois 42-25 with John Teague (Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown) and Marcus Roper (Charles Town, W. Va. / Jefferson) each posting double-doubles. It was the first of the season for Roper who scored 12 and chipped in 10 boards.
- JR Powe (Frederick, Md / Thomas Johnson) led all scorers with 22 points and converted 6-of-8 attempts from the charity stripe.
- 19 points from Cole Morris paced the DuBois attack with Tre'von Williams also adding 15 points and seven rebounds off their bench.
How it Happened
- Penn State Mont Alto ignored the early home crowd energy and ran out to a 13-5 lead after a Powe backdoor layup that was assisted by John Teague (Hagerstown, Md. / North Hagerstown). Penn State DuBois (7-8, 3-6 PSUAC) clawed back to even the score at 15 points apiece after a Tre'von Williams layup.
- DuBois took a 23-19 lead with just under seven minutes left in the first half after a Malik Gordon jumper. They continued to nurse that lead during the final minutes of the half carrying the 30-25 lead into the halftime break. Cole Morris scored nine of his points within that half.
- PSUMA retook the lead early in the second half and its pressure defense led to a Flemister steal and JR Powe (Frederick, Md / Thomas Johnson) fast break layup.
- The largest lead of the game by either team wasn't established until late in when Mont Alto showed its composure. They led by eight points with a 1:53 at 57-51 and held on down the stretch.
Due to the impending winter storm in the Mid-Atlantic region, the basketball doubleheader at Penn State Greater Allegheny originally scheduled for Saturday has been rescheduled for February 7. Mont Alto will now return to action on Wednesday, January 22 against Christendom College.
