December 8, 2010
Grove City rolls past Penn State Altoona
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College men's basketball team improved to 4-3 overall Wednesday night with a 61-37 home victory over Penn State Altoona (1-7) in non-conference action at the Grove City College Arena.
Grove City took command of the game with a 24-5 run in the first half after Altoona had jumped out to a 10-2 lead. Junior forward Mike Grist (Lexington, Ohio/Lexington), who made his first start Wednesday, ignited the run with a layup while junior guard Brett Matson (Wexford, Pa./Pine-Richland) fired in a pair of three-pointers to help the Wolverines surge ahead.
The Wolverines then broke the game open in the second half by holding Penn State Altoona scoreless for the first seven minutes of the second half. A steal and subsequent layup by senior guard Bryn Moran (Columbus, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) gave Grove City a 40-20 lead at the 13:41 mark.
Grove City led by as many as 26 in the second half.
Matson led Grove City with 16 points and Grist fired in a career-high 13. Junior guard Cody Fleeger (Butler, Pa./Butler) grabbed six rebounds and Matson had five boards, helping Grove City own a 36-26 edge on the glass.
Defensively, Grove City held the Lions to 13-for-47 (28 percent) shooting for the game. Penn State Altoona converted four of its first five shots from the field but shot 9 for 42 (21 percent) over the final 34 minutes. The Wolverines also forced 21 turnovers. Chase McGowan led Penn State Altoona with 10 points.
Grove City shot 47 percent (23 of 49) from the floor in the win. Fleeger added three assists while sophomore forward Jeff Newell (Boone, N.C./Watauga) blocked shots.
The 37 points allowed is the lowest total surrendered by Grove City since the Wolverines' 73-28 win over D'Youville February 17, 1999. Grove City has given up just 85 total points in its last two games. That's the lowest two-game point total allowed under 13th-year head coach Steve Lamie and the lowest in program history since the introduction of the shot clock.
The 1983-84 team allowed 84 total points in consecutive wins over Mount Union (40-36) and Thiel (70-48).
Grove City is 13-2 in its last 15 home games. Saturday, the Wolverines host Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Waynesburg at 3 p.m. in the Grove City College Arena.
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