Cresson, Pa. -- Mount Aloysius men's basketball earned the conference victory against rival Penn State Altoona this Wednesday, January 31st. 

Although the game would be decided by interior play and rebounding, processions opened with both teams trading inside and outside shots interchangeably. Tied after ten minutes of play, forward Octavius Hardy (East Cleveland, Ohio, Euclid) would make his presence felt, picking off two passes and hitting two massive threes to give his team the lead. Forward Reggie Priah (Cleveland, Ohio, Euclid) would pick up the momentum, converting an And-1 and swatting a shot to put his team up 7 with three minutes left to play. Priah, who was honored before the game for reaching the 1000-point career milestone, would post a 21-point, 8 rebound stat line in just 21 minutes of play. Hardy would end with 16 points on 50% shooting, adding two steals. 

Guard Julius Cummings (Cleveland, Ohio, Villa Angela Saint Joseph) posted a strong end to the half, scoring both inside and out while picking up an assist and steal to send the Mounties into halftime with a 10 point lead. Guard Will Hagwood (Willowick, Ohio, South) would also do his part, facilitating the interior offense while grabbing rebounds and pushing the transition pace. Hagwood would end with 7 assists on just two turnovers, while scoring 11 and grabbing 8 boards. 

Rounding out the impressive performance of the Mountie bigs, forward De'Von Haggans (Harrisburg, PA, Central Dauphin) impacted every aspect of the game throughout. Haggans would end with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, while perhaps most impressively recording 7 assists on just one turnover. A closely contested second half would sit at 69-69 with nine minutes left to play, when Hardy, Priah, and Haggans would amp up the intensity, scoring 15 of the Mounties final 20 points. The play of the game happened late, with the Mounties up three in the final fifteen seconds of action. Cummings would take the inbound, throwing a perfect touchdown pass the length of the court to beat the Lion press and put Haggans on the line with 13 seconds left to play. The crowd would erupt as Haggans would hit both, pushing the separation to two possessions. The Mounties would execute in the final seconds of action, earning the 89-85 win. 

Hardy, Priah, and Haggans contributions were evident throughout the box score. The Mounties would score 54 points inside the paint, 16 more than their opponents. The hosts would also outrebound the Lions, grabbing 39 boards to Altoona's 26. Despite Penn State Altoona posting 50 / 50 / 80 team shooting splits, the Mounties interior presence and transition play would overcome the hot shooting, as Mount Aloysius would earn 18 more fast break points and 13 more points off turnovers than the visitors. 

Mount Aloysius men's basketball travels to Pittsburgh this Saturday, February 3rd to take on the Carlow Celtics. Carlow enters the contest 4-16 overall and 2-11 in conference, coming off a 63-81 loss to Pitt-Greensburg.