WORCESTER, Mass. - You know it's March because Penn State Harrisburg's men's basketball team has knocked off another top-10 program to open NCAA Tournament play. The Lions defeated No. 9 St. Joseph (Conn.) 63-53 in a defensive slugfest on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Friday afternoon, March 3.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Penn State Harrisburg (24-3) outlasted No. 9 St. Joseph (26-2) thanks to a stellar defensive effort and timely shotmaking down the stretch to knock off a top-10 team in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Lions move on to face No. 13 WPI on Saturday night.
Donyae Baylor-Carroll and Brandon Coleman each netted a team-high 12 points, while Zegary Scott III added 11 points and Nate Curry and Alex Leiba finished with 10 apiece. Pedro Rodriguez nearly recorded a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Leading 51-48 with less than five minutes to play, the Blue & White made it a two-possession game when Brandon Coleman knocked down a 3-ball off an assist from Scott before forcing a Blue Jays turnover on the other end. Baylor-Carroll followed it up by converting a tough layup in traffic to make it 56-48 with 3:32 remaining.
After USJ's Jalen Samuels laid one in to cut the deficit back to six, Baylor-Carroll hit a dagger step-back jumper with just over two minutes left to put the pressure on the St. Joseph. The Blue Jays missed a couple of jump shots on the other end and were forced to foul down the stretch. Baylor-Carroll, Curry, and Coleman went a combined 5-of-6 from the stripe in the final minute to put it on ice.
Trailing 22-15 at the 4:41 mark of the first half, Penn State Harrisburg came to life and used a momentum-changing 15-4 run to end the half and take a 30-26 advantage into the break. Baylor-Carroll, Coleman, and Scott III each buried 3-pointers during the spurt and Scott III capped the run with a layup that beat the buzzer off a good find from Coleman.
NOTABLES
- The win is Penn State Harrisburg's second all-time over a top-10 opponent. The first came in a 104-96 double-overtime victory over No. 6 Johns Hopkins in the 2020 NCAA Tournament.
- The Blue & White improved to 2-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.
- The Lions shot 40.7 percent from the field and held USJ to just 30.8 percent shooting from the floor.
- Both teams shot 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
- Penn State Harrisburg finished with a 42-40 edge on the glass.
- The Blue & White scored 26 points off 14 St. Joseph turnovers.
- Donyae Baylor-Carroll scored a dozen points, including nine in the second half, to go along with a team-high four assists and four rebounds.
- Brandon Coleman also netted 12 points and pulled down seven boards.
- Zegary Scott III led the offensive charge early, scoring all 11 of his points in the first half.
- Alex Leiba had 10 points, six rebounds, and a game-high four blocks off the bench.
- Nate Curry finished with 10 points and six boards.
- Pedro Rodriguez flirted with a double-double, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds.
- Chaylyn Martin led the way for the Blue Jays with a game-high 15 points.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions will face the hosts from No. 13 WPI in NCAA second-round action on Saturday night, with the winner advancing to the Sweet 16. Tip-off is set for 6:20 p.m.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using the handle @pshbgathletics.