Roaring Lions Fall in Season Opener to Pitt-Greensburg

November 15, 2011

UNIONTOWN, Pa. - Despite 29 points from freshman Brandon Cunningham (Rancho Cucamonga, Ca.), Penn State Fayette's men's basketball team could not overcome a rash of turnovers, as NCAA Division III member Pitt-Greensburg grabbed a 92-83 win in the season opener for both teams.

In a fast paced affair that witnessed 53 turnovers, the Roaring Lions could not overcome their 31 turnovers. Fayette (0-1) outrebounded the Bobcats 40-30, but Pitt-Greensburg was able to force nine extra takeaways to pull ahead, including 20 steals.

The Bobcats shot 53 percent (34-for-64), including 7-for-14 from behind the arc, as Fayette finished at 48.5 percent (32-for-66). The difference, however, came from the free throw line, as the Bobcats made as many (17-for-27) as the Roaring Lions attempted. The Roaring Lions were 13-for-17 from the charity stripe, and also hit six three pointers.

Cunningham paced Fayette with his 29 points on 12-for-21 shooting, including 5-for-10 from behind the arc, and also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Junior David Winns (Washington, DC) added 23 points and seven boards before fouling out with just over three minutes remaining in the game. Junior transfer Ryan Hart (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added 21 points and eight rebounds in his Fayette debut, including 8-for-12 from the field.

However, the Roaring Lions could not match Pitt-Greensburg's balanced scoring attack, as seven players scored eight or more points for the Bobcats. Tiere Phillips led Pitt-Greensburg with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Brian Henle added 14 points. Rhett Gordan had eight points and eight steals for the Bobcats.

The Roaring Lions jumped out to an early advantage, as they led 9-4 with 16:29 remaining after a Cunningham three-pointer. A Bobcat run tied the score at 12-12, but Fayette would regain the lead for the next seven minutes. A Heinle three gave Pitt-Greensburg their first lead at 28-25, with 6:25 left in the first half, but Fayette never trailed by more than four. A Winns dunk gave the Roaring Lions a 38-37 lead, and another lay-up from the junior made it 40-37 with 1:35 to play in the opening half. But another Heinle three would tie the score at 40, and a 5-2 run by the Bobcats gave them a 45-42 halftime advantage.

Fayette dominated the paint in the first half, outscoring the Bobcats 30-16. But turnovers proved problematic for the Roaring Lions, as Pitt-Greensburg turned them into 16 points. Pitt-Greensburg also received help from its bench, as 17 points came from the non-starters in a first half that saw six ties and five lead changes.

Early in the second half, the Bobcats extended their lead to six on three occasions, but Fayette kept it close, and rallied to tie the score 62-62 on a three from Cunningham. The Bobcats answered with a 6-0 run, and eventually led 73-66. But a three pointer from Hart brought the Roaring Lions within four, and free throws from junior Will Gaines (Washington, DC) kept the deficit at four at 75-71. Another Cunningham three brought the Roaring Lions to one, before a Bobcat turnover led to a Cunningham jumper for a 78-77 Fayette lead.

Gordan answered the Fayette run with a jumper to give the Bobcats their lead back, and Pitt-Greensburg would not look back. Two free throws from David Palmer were followed by a put back from Winns, but the Roaring Lions would not get closer than two in the final 2:30. The Bobcats finished the game on a 7-0 run, including four free throws at the end to seal the victory.

The second half saw the Bobcats outscore Fayette 28-14 in the lane, and 11-2 in bench scoring.