Career Night Lifts Men's Basketball Over Thiel

GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team shot 57.4 percent from the floor to register a 94-73 win over Thiel in their non-conference season opener on Tuesday night.

Score: Penn State Behrend 94, Thiel 73

Records: Penn State Behrend (1-0), Thiel (0-2)

Key Moments:

* The starting five contributed all but 16 points of the 94 scored
* Four of the five starters had career highs on the night
* Sophomore Devin Pope (Ripley, NY/Chautauqua Lake) drained a career-high 10 field goals for his best showing with 25 points
* Seniors Derrick Clark (Erie, PA/Central Tech) and Dorian Connors (Girard, PA/Girard) collected career highs with 23 and 11 points, respectively
* Connors also had career bests with six assists and four blocks
* Kenny Fukon (Cranberry Township, PA/Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic) registered a career-high 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals
* Clark and Pope each had 14 points by the half to help Behrend take a 50-29 lead
* Sophomore PJ Gourley (Butler, PA/Knoch) and freshmen Matt Niland (Erie, PA/Fairview) and Seth Myers (Erie, PA/General McLane) all recorded their first collegiate points
* Gourley and Niland each added six points off the bench and Myers converted a free throw
* The stingy Behrend defense held the Tomcats to just two points over a four-minute span late in the first half for a 39-21 lead with 3:10 left to play
* Each team scored 44 points in the second half. The Lions were led by Pope's 11 and Niland's six points, three bounds, one assist and one steal  

Up Next:

* The Behrend Lions return to action on Wednesday, November 20 against Allegheny in their home opener. Game time is 7 p.m.