Men’s Basketball scores first win of the season to open AMCC play

CRESSON, Pa. --- Carlow University men's basketball opened Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference action with an 88-76 win over Mount Aloysius College on the road Wednesday night.

The Celtics (1-8, 1-0 AMCC) picked up their first win of the season by shooting 54.9 percent (28 for 51) from the field, including 13 three-pointers, and scoring 19 points from the charity stripe (82.6 percent).

Jimmy Giannetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Saint Joseph HS) scored a game- and career-high 24 points with nine rebounds and six assists. Aleel Batts (Middletown, Pa./Middletown Area HS) tallied 18 points off the bench, and Tomasi Pavihi (Wellington, New Zealand/St. Mary's Ryken HS/College of Marin) added 15 points and seven rebounds. Tavin Adamson (Loveland, Colo./Thompson Valley HS/El Camino College) contributed 14 points to the win.

It was a back-and-forth matchup as both teams tied the score 14 times, with 22 lead changes throughout the game.

Trailing 34-30 with 2:45 remaining in the first half, the Celtics scored 11 unanswered points to take a seven-point lead into halftime.

The Mounties (1-6, 0-1 AMCC) outscored Carlow 21-16 through the first 12 minutes of action in the second half, culminating in a three-pointer by Brandon Waters that cut Carlow's lead to two. A free throw saw Mount Aloysius down one, but the Celtics sank a basket seconds later for some breathing room.

Two treys from Batts and a layup by Giannetta gave Carlow an 11-point advantage with a little over three minutes left in regulation. Adamson and Pavihi each sank a three-pointer toward the end of the game to extend Carlow's lead, and the Celtics scored 11 points at the foul line alone through the final five minutes of action.

Carlow outrebounded Mount Aloysius 35-20, but the Mounties outscored the Celtics 36-20 in the paint and held a narrow 22-21 scoring margin off the bench.

Troy Tinch led the Mounties with 17 points, while Donovan Bass-Briscoe and Senique Jenkins added 15 points each.

The Celtics host Penn State Behrend for an 8 p.m. game Saturday, Dec. 6 at Donahue Pavilion.