Men’s Basketball falls to league-leading Penn State Behrend

ERIE, Pa. --- Carlow University men's basketball lost a 70-50 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference contest to Penn State Behrend on the road Saturday afternoon.

The Lions (13-5) remain unbeaten in AMCC action with the win over the Celtics (1-17, 1-8 AMCC). Carlow did not afford Behrend a single foul shot the entire game. The Celtics forced 12 Behrend turnovers and outscored the Lions 28-7 off the bench.

Jimmy Giannetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Saint Joseph HS), Jordyn Tavarez (New Kensington, Pa./Highlands HS/Penn West Calif.) and Tomasi Pavihi (Wellington, New Zealand/St. Mary's Ryken HS/College of Marin) led the Celtics with 11 points apiece. Pavihi led Carlow with a game-high eight rebounds.

The Lions held Carlow scoreless for the first five minutes of the game, gaining a 12-0 advantage before Giannetta sank a jumper to put the Celtics on the board.

Carlow battled back, outscoring the Lions 12-9 over the next seven minutes to trail 21-16. Behrend outscored the Celtics 11-4 in the final six minutes of the half to take a 37-25 lead into intermission.

The Lions went on a 15-2 run and held Carlow scoreless for over eight minutes to gain a 27-point advantage late in the second half and maintained a double-digit lead until the end.

Behrend shot 53.7 percent (29 for 54) from the field with 12 three-pointers and outrebounded the Celtics, 36-24.

Matthew McDonough led the Lions with a game-high 22 points and five assists, and two other players recorded double figures in the win.

The Celtics travel to La Roche University for a 7 p.m. AMCC game Jan. 28.