Behrend Men's Basketball Set to Host ECAC First Round Game
The
Penn State Behrend men's basketball team secured the #4 seed for the ECAC
South Men's Basketball Tournament and will host #5 Bethany (WV) on
Wednesday, March 4 in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off in the Junker Center.
The Behrend men were eliminated in the semifinals of the AMCC men's
basketball tournament and enter the ECAC tournament with a record of 17-9 on
the season. Behrend has a history of ECAC playoff appearances as this
will be the ninth time the squad has competed in an ECAC postseason
tournament. The blue and white captured the ECAC title ten years ago
during the 1998-99 season.
The Behrend Lions defeated the Bethany Bison (17-11) earlier this season in
the Junker Center as part of the Behrend Tip-Off Tournament when the blue
and white earned a 71-66 win on November 21.
Behrend has been led in scoring this season by Adam Potter (Pittsburgh/Mt.
Lebanon) and Adam Kaiser (Erie/Cathedral Prep). Potter is
averaging 13.3 ppg and also leads the team in rebounds, grabbing 6.0 per
game. Kaiser averages 13.2 ppg while making a team-high 80 shots from
3-point range. Tom
Newman (Girard/Northwestern) leads the team in assists with 72, while Drew Seker
(Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) is the team leader in steals with 36 thefts
on the season.
Bethany lost its last game, in the PAC championship game on February 28, to
Thomas More College. The Bison have three players averaging
double-figures in scoring, Lance Beckwith (15.8 ppg), Joe Testa (12.1 ppg),
and Petre Petkovski (11.8 ppg) and have won six of
their last eight games.
The eight-team ECAC Tournament will feature four first-round games on
Wednesday hosted by the higher seeded teams. The four winners will
then advance to one site for the semifinals and championship game, which
will be hosted by the highest seeded team remaining. The
semifinals will be played Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., with
the championship game taking place on Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m.
2008-09 ECAC South Men's Basketball Tournament
#1 Cabrini vs. #8 Penn State Altoona
#2 Catholic vs. #7 Grove City
#3 Pitt-Bradford vs. #6 W & J
#4 Penn State Behrend vs. #5 Bethany (WV)