PSUD wins home opener 89-76

PSUD wins home opener 89-76

photo: Sophomore guard Tristan Pierce

PSUD Men's Basketball Improve to 2-0

Tuesday night served as the 2015-16 home opener for the PSU DuBois Nittany Lions men as they played host to Westmoreland County Community College Wolfpack. The Lions improved to 2-0 on the season with a 89-76 victory. PSUD was playing in front of one of the larger crowds in the past few years as a rowdy student section brought energy to the gym for the entire 40 minutes of play.

The first two minutes of play saw the lions fall behind 8-2 before Tristan Pierce and Kyle Mills made back to back baskets to cut the lead to 8-7. During the next eight minutes the lions found themselves exchanging baskets with the wolfpack as both sides struggled to slow down the opposition. PSUD took its first lead (16-15) of the game on a Jordan Knappenberger (Lehighton,Pa) 3 point field goal.  The lions clamped down on the defensive end and started executing on offense, leading to a 47-35 halftime lead. The second half was very similar to the first half as both teams were able to continue the offensive success. The lions would push the lead to 17 at one point. 3 point field goals by Tristan Pierce (Lancaster,Oh) and inside play by Sam Roselli (Ridgway, PA) were the difference in the second half for PSUD. "Right now we are clicking on offense, as a team we are shooting it really well." "Sam (Roselli) also gives a nice inside option that we can rely on to get a close look" stated head coach Dylan Howard. Tristan Pierce lead all scorers with 23 points, he also contributed 5 assists. Sam Roselli pulled in a double-double ending the night with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Louie Conde(Ewing, NJ) poured in 17 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists. Kyle Mills (Bushkill,Pa) 12 points, Adam Szklanka (Dushore,Pa) 8 points, and Jordan Knappenberger 7 points also helped PSUD come away victorious. Coach Howard said, "we are sharing the ball, making plays for each other with balance scoring, now we just need to tighten a few things up on the defensive end." The lions have scored 107 and 89 points in their first two games of the season.

PSUD will head to Bethany College in West Virginia this Saturday for a tough road contest. The tip is slated for 7 pm. PSUD returns home on  Tuesday November 17th at 8 pm against Butler County Community College.