#1 PENN STATE BEHREND, #2 PITT-GREENSBURG ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Top seed Penn State Behrend and #2 Pitt-Greensburg each earned victories in the men's basketball semifinals to advance to the AMCC Championship game, slated for Saturday at 5:00pm at the Penn State Behrend Junker Center. The Behrend Lions got a 75-55 win over Hilbert College, while Pitt-Greensburg cruised to an 82-65 victory over La Roche University.

#1 Penn St Behrend pulled away in the second half to secure a 20-point victory over Hilbert. The Behrend Lions jumped out to an early lead, using a mix of free throws and layups to open up a 6–0 advantage in the first few minutes. Hilbert responded with a 5-0 run — including back-to-back baskets — to pull within 8–10. Behrend kept the pressure on, extending the margin to 14–7 and later to 19–11. Hilbert cut the gap again to 23–30 late in the half before going into the locker rooms at halftime with Behrend holding the 33-26 advantage. Behrend made an early statement in the second half, increasing their lead to 37–26 within the first couple of minutes with efficient scoring and strong defense. Key buckets from Nate Edwards and Matthew McDonough helped Behrend build a double-digit advantage several minutes into the second half as the Lions were able to put the game away.

Behrend freshman forward Jacob Dunkle had a dominant night with 23 points and 14 rebounds, anchoring the Behrend offense and controlling the boards, while McDonough contributed 21 points and Edwards added 15 points for the Lions. The win for Behrend gave head coach Dave Niland his 600th career win. 

Hilbert was led by Larry Morse, who scored 19 points and added five rebounds, while Ari Jones added 10 for the Hawks.

In the night cap, Pitt-Greensburg defeated La Roche for the first time this season, as the Bobcats dropped both games to the Redhawks during the regular season. Pitt-Greensburg pulled away early and never trailed, scoring on the first posession of the game and building a strong lead throughout the first half. The bigger surge came in the second half, as Pitt-Greensburg extended its lead behind continued scoring from their starters. La Roche kept fighting, but couldn’t cut the deficit to within single digits in the second half, and Pitt-Greensburg maintained control throughout. 

Matthew Marinchak paced the Bobcats with 23 points, including five three-pointers, while Trent Rozich added 22 points and eight rebounds. Jackson Byer also contributed with 18 points and eight rebounds. Bryce Epps led La Roche with 19 points, Logan Golle added 17 points, and Major Rainey chipped in 13. 

As a team, Pitt-Greensburg shot 40% from three and nearly 77% from the free-throw line.

The AMCC men's basketball champion will be determined on Saturday at 5:00pm when #1 Penn State Behrend and #2 Pitt-Greensburg battle it out for the title.