Penn State DuBois sophomore guard Christopher Frontera attempts a three-point shot over a Greater Allegheny defender during the game at the PAW Center
DUBOIS, Pa. — For the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Penn State DuBois, the season that started back in the early part of November is now down to one last game. The final game for each team will be at home at the PAW Center this week, with both teams looking to end the season on a high note.
This past week saw both the men’s and women’s teams play a single game, hosting Penn State Greater Allegheny at the PAW Center. As part of the festivities on this day, Penn State DuBois basketball players that are graduating or transitioning to another campus were celebrated. In total, eight players were recognized for their contributions to Penn State DuBois basketball programs.
The women’s game started things off, with the Lady Lions looking to avenge a loss to Greater Allegheny earlier in the season. DuBois came out on fire in the first quarter, shooting 50% from the field and despite having nine turnovers in the quarter, the Lady Lions found themselves trailing by only one point when the buzzer sounded to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, however, the hot shooting changed sides with Greater Allegheny shooting nearly 50% from the field and DuBois committing 12 more turnovers. This led to Greater Allegheny outscoring DuBois by 14 points in the second quarter and taking a 39-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Lady Lions weren't able to find that hot shooting mark again that they had in the first quarter, and although they held tough with Greater Allegheny, DuBois was never able to fully cut into the lead and ultimately fell by a final score of 79-59.
Shannon Shaw and Hayley Matter led the Lady Lions’ scoring efforts, netting 14 points and 11 points respectively. Sarah Huston put in a good effort on the boards as well, bringing in nine rebounds in her 25 minutes of game time.
Penn State DuBois senior guard Paige Pleta gets her shot away as two Greater Allegheny defenders look on during the recent game at the PAW Center
On the men’s side, the Nittany Lions were also looking to get a game back against Greater Allegheny after dropping the contest earlier in the season.
In the first half, things looked promising for DuBois. Despite shooting under 35% from the field, the Nittany Lions used strong defense to not allow Greater Allegheny clean looks at the basket while also limiting second chance efforts through a strong defensive rebounding effort. When the horn went for the end of the first half, DuBois held a three-point lead over Greater Allegheny 33-30. The Nittany Lions pulled in 28 total rebounds in the first half alone, including 18 defensive rebounds.
The second half saw the tide of the game change quickly, as Greater Allegheny was able to turn their cold shooting first half around, netting over 51% of their shots while making their 16 trips to the free throw line count as well, successfully completing 11 of their 16 shots. Combined with DuBois struggling to find their scoring touch from the field in the second half, Greater Allegheny was able to pull away from the Nittany Lions and go on to win by a final score of 74-67.
In the losing effort, Jaiquil Johnson exploded for 28 points in 28 minutes, while dishing out two assists and pulling in four rebounds. Beau Verdill, with 13 points off the bench, and Christopher Frontera, with 11 points, also scored in double figures for DuBois.
Both the Nittany Lions and Lady Lions will close out their seasons at home when they host Penn State Beaver at the PAW Center. The men’s and the women’s teams will both be looking to finish off the season on a winning note and even the season series with Beaver, having both dropped the previous game earlier in the season. The women’s game will lead things off with a scheduled start time of 6 p.m. and the men’s game will follow at approximately 8 p.m.
For complete athletic schedules, visit the Penn State DuBois athletic website at psuduboisathletics.com.
