Late rally leads Point Park past #3 Fayette

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. - In what looked like a playoff-type atmosphere in front of a capacity crowd at CCAC South Campus, Penn State Fayette nearly accomplished what just a few years ago seemed impossible – defeating Point Park. The Roaring Lions fell 88-85.

The Roaring Lions (2-1, 0-0) controlled the tempo and pace of most of the 40 minutes of play – leading by as many as 10 points on several occasions.

The game tightened up down the stretch setting up a thrilling final two minutes.

With Point Park holding a four point edge, Luke Williams (Lahaina, Hawaii) drained a three-pointer to bring the Roaring Lions to within one. When Matt McKenna (Pittsburgh, Pa.) rebounded a missed free throw from Yandell Dennis, the Roaring Lions had their destiny in their hands.

Coming out of a timeout, Fayette Coach Mark John opted to put the ball in the hands of the team's leading scorer – McKenna

McKenna denied a balls screen from Senior forward Jacob Bronder (Pittsburgh, PA) on the sideline and drove baseline.  McKenna powered through two Pioneers and went strong to the hoop.  His attempt rimmed out, and Yandell pulled down the rebound and iced the game with two free throws with a secon left.

As always, the senior forward had an honest assessment of the play. "It was a good look, and I should have finished it," McKenna

Fayette shocked the Pioneers – who had been averaging 100-points a game until last night – in a atmosphere that felt more like a playoff game than at early season, non-conference game.

The Roaring Lions methodically attacked the Point Park zone defense. Shooting a blistering 39 percent from three-point range, Fayette built as much as a 10 point lead.

Despite limited minutes because of foul trouble junior point guard CJ Gaddis (Brownsville, Pa.) was limited in action, as he found himself in foul trouble early.  Despite his limited minutes, Gaddis found a way to shred the Pioneer zone, shelling out eight assists.  He committed just one turnover.

"Coming into the game, we wanted to slow down the pace," Fayette Head Coach Mark John said. "We wanted to use the entire shot clock.  We wanted to back up on defense.  CJ told me in the locker room that we needed to play our game, so we decided to play them as straight up as we could," he explained.  

And play their game they did. Fayette matched Point Park's transition game and the team played its usual full court man-to-man defense and an up-tempo offense.

McKenna led all scorers with 24 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.  Bronder notched his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. 

"Jake had one of his strongest games in a Roaring Lions uniform.  He attacked the hoop, he played great pick and roll defense, and he fought hard for rebounds," boasted assistant coach Jajuan Davis. 

Once again, Fayette featured a balanced scoring attack. Williams (Lahaina, Hawaii) tallied 19, including the NBA-ranged three pointer with 17 seconds left that set up the thrilling finish.

Senior guard Brandon Cunningham (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), still recovering from an ankle injury, managed to put up 12 points.  Sophomore guards Tony Bristol (Charleroi, Pa) and Dominick Jackson (Minneapolis, Minn.) used their speed and quickness to break Point Park's pressure. 

Defensively, Jackson and Bristol, known affectionately among their teammates as "Thunder and Lightning" made it difficult for Point Park's offensive sets to get moving. 

"Tony, Dominick, and Luke were defended like All-Americans against a bunch of scholarship athletes.  Luke held (Sa 'iid) Allen to 7 points, and I believe he averages almost 30.  That speaks volumes for his will power, his heart, and his desire to be one of the best defenders in the country," added John.

Freshman guard/forward Mario Reeves (Pittsburgh, Pa.) made key baskets to answer several of Point Park's runs during the second half.  Reeves totaled nine points and pulled down six rebounds in less than a quarter of play. 

Fayette started fast and Williams' three pointer two-and-a-half minutes in, gave Fayette an 11-5 lead. The Pioneers took a 14-12 lead with 15 minutes to go in the half. From there the teams traded points over the next four minutes before a McKenna three-pointer allowed Fayette to take the retake the lead.

That sparked an 8-2 run capped off by a Mario Reeves (Pittsburgh, Pa.) jumper with seven minutes to go and extending Fayette's lead to 30-22. A Mckenna jumper with a little more than a minute left in the half gave the Roaring Lions a 43-33 lead.

Point Park closed the gap to seven when Allen hit a jumper with 24 seconds to go.

The Roaring Lions took a 46-39 lead into the locker room.

Fayette held the lead for most of the second half until Jerah'me Williams' three pointer with slightly less than four to go in the game gave the Pioneers their first lead time since the 11-minute mark of the first period.

Alan Heter's layup with 2:44 to go extended Point Park's lead to five.

But the Roaring Lions were not done yet. A Williams trey with two minutes left pulled Fayette within two at 84-82.  Art Christian's layup with a minute-and-a-half to go gave Point Park a four-point lead.

William's three stunned the Pioneers and set the stage for one of the most thrilling finishes in program history. The 88-85 final score marks the closest game the two teams have ever played, in a series that dates back beyond 2007.

And the Roaring Lions will get another shot at the Pioneers, hosting the rematch on Monday, Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

The Roaring Lions are back in action when they visit NCAA DII California University of Pennsylvania on Monday November 17.  Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.  The game will be broadcast on WMBS 590 AM and on the Internet as www.msasports.net.