Redhawks Outlast Late Lion Comeback

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team dropped their first game of the season to La Roche 59-57 on Saturday afternoon.

The Redhawks (2-5, 2-0 AMCC) get their first win against the Lions (4-1, 1-1 AMCC) since February 2013, breaking a Behrend five-game winning streak.

A big first half ultimately helped La Roche secure their second win of the season. The Redhawks shot 52%, including 3-of-10 from behind the arc to jump out to a 10-point lead going into the half. Ray Quan Phifer led La Roche with nine points in the first and finished with 15.

For the Lions, Zane Hackett (Brookville, PA/Brookville) continues to lead Behrend in scoring. He recorded a season-high 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Andy Niland (Fairview, PA/Fairview) had a strong performance running the point. He added helpers on five buckets and dropped 11 points, including two threes down the stretch to lead a Behrend comeback.

After being down their largest margin of the season (15), the Lions bounced back in the second half and created a close game. The Redhawks kept an eight to 10-point lead for the majority of the second half, but Behrend would not go down without a fight.

With just over five minutes left in the game, Hackett drained two free throws and added a basket on the Lions' next possession to cut the La Roche lead to five.

After a basket by the Redhawks, Niland swished a three to once again cut into the lead and force a four-point game with 3:21 remaining. Niland drained another triple with 49 seconds left to force a two-point game.

Connor MaLaughlin (Ashtabula, OH/Edgewood) made a critical block, adding to his team-leading total (8), on the possession after Niland's three to keep their deficit at two. With a last second shot for a chance the tie the game at 59-all, Behrend was unable to get the shot to drop and La Roche snuck away with a two-point victory.

The Lions return to action on Wednesday back in the Junker Center to host Pitt-Bradford at 6 p.m.