STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The final buzzer went off and Penn State Mont Alto Head Coach Jack Schenzel embraced his assistant coaches on the sidelines as his players rushed the court in celebration of the program's first conference championship since the 2020 season. With the win, the team clinched an automatic berth to the USCAA Tournament, taking place in Buffalo, New York, on March 10-15. Sunday's contest was a rematch of the 2024 PSUAC Quarterfinals in which Penn State Mont Alto was defeated by DuBois 98-87.
Veron Talla led the way for Mont Alto with 14 points and 13 rebounds in 35 minutes of action. Taralle Hayden and Richard Burke each chipped in 12 points and Caleb Eckert had 10 points in 18 minutes of action.
Beau Verdill paced the DuBois offense with 16 points in 23 minutes of action. Kaleb Pryor and Kyron Harbin each added 13.
Cole Love got the scoring started for DuBois after five minutes of action after the initial jitters and shooting woes subsided. Both teams struggled out of the gate.
A three point basket by Beau Verdill saw Mont Alto trailing 10-4 with 13 minutes left in the opening half. Bryson Fleming assisted on a Taralle Hayden basket which gave Mont Alto a 16-15 advantage with 7:41 left in the first. With the score 21-21, Mont Alto went on a 7-0 run to push ahead 28-21. Mont Alto extended the lead to double-digits at the end of the half taking a 38-27 lead into the break.
A three point basket by Bryson Fleming ballooned the lead to 45-32 with 15:29 left. DuBois would claw back in the game, trailing by just four points with 8:37 remaining as Mont Alto led 52-48.
Ahead 58-54, Taralle Hayden connected on an and-one to push Mont Alto ahead 61-54 with 4:58 left. DuBois could not mount a comeback effort as Mont Alto continued to connect on free throws making 23 of 32 attempts (72%).
Up Next: United States Collegiate Athletic Association March 10-15 in Buffalo, New York.
Penn State Mont Alto leaders
- Veron Talla 14 points, 13 rebounds
- Taralle Hayden 12 points
- Richard Burke 12 points
Penn State DuBois leaders
- Beau Verdill 16 points, 10 rebounds
- Kaleb Pryor 13 points, 4 assists
- Kyron Harbin 13 points, 8 rebounds
To keep up to date with the Penn State Mont Alto Men's basketball team and all things Mont Alto Athletics be sure to follow us on social media: Instagram: @MontAltoAthletics; Facebook: @PSUMAathletics; X: @PSUMAAthletics
