Lions Set for Matchup With Mounties

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team welcomes Mount Aloysius to the Junker Center on Saturday as part of a basketball doubleheader. The men's is slated for a 4:00 p.m. tip and will follow the women's game, which begins at 2:00 p.m.

Coverage:

Video | Live Stats | Game Notes

Behrend News & Notes:

* The Lions dropped their last contest on Wednesday at La Roche, 56-45, and come in to Saturday's game with a 5-3 overall record and 1-2 record in conference play
* Tommy DiRienzo (Pittsburgh, PA/Bethel Park) led the way for the Lions with 14 points, while Michael Sopko (New Castle, PA/Neshannock) pulled down a team-high six rebounds
* Sopko added two steals and two blocks on the defensive end against the Redhawks
* DiRienzo is the team leader in points per game (21.5). Matthew McDonough (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) (12.3 ppg) and RJ Marsh (State College, PA/Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy) (10.1 ppg) also tally double-figures for the Lions
* Marsh is first on the team with 7.9 rebounds per game and 1.4 steals per game, while DiRienzo collects 6.9 rebounds per game
* Guard Matt Niland (Erie, PA/Fairview) leads the team in assists, dishing out 2.1 assists per game

Meet the Opposition:

* Mount Aloysius holds a 2-6 overall record and 1-2 record to begin conference play, falling to Penn State Altoona (96-68) on Wednesday
* Junior guard Will Hagwood, who was a 2022-23 All-AMCC Third Team selection, leads the Mounties with 16.6 points per game
* Reggie Priah (13.6 ppg), De'Von Haggans (12.6), and Trent Ramirez-Keller (10.0) all average double-figures, while Priah has recorded a team-high 9.6 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game
* The Mounties were selected to finish ninth in the 2023-24 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
* Hagwood and fellow junior guard Alphonso Morrow were named AMCC Preseason Players to Watch
* Head coach Marcus Thomas in his third season as the leader of the men's basketball program

Series History:

* Behrend leads the all-time series 35-4, dating back to the 2001-02 season
* The Lions have not lost to the Mounties since January 26, 2013 (70-60), winning the last 19 matchups