Basketball teams at Penn State DuBois enter final week of regular season

DuBOIS, Pa. — With the regular season approaching its end, the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Penn State DuBois are looking to continue their high level of play and finish the regular season on the best note possible. With both teams in playoff position within the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC), the Nittany Lions and Lady Lions are looking to pick up a few more conference wins to help improve their positions.

Last week, the Lady Lions began their week by traveling to visit Penn State Greater Allegheny on Feb. 12. In an important matchup, DuBois surged past Greater Allegheny, 94-47.

Senior Shannon Shaw led the Lady Lions with 18 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field, including four 3-pointers. Freshman Elizabeth Hungiville posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Eden Wonderling added 15 points. Natalie Bowser dominated the glass with 17 rebounds to go with her 12 points.

DuBois set the tone early, jumping out to a 29-16 first-quarter lead and never looking back. The Lady Lions shot 51.2% from the floor and controlled the paint, outscoring Greater Allegheny 58-26 inside. Their defense forced 20 turnovers, converting them into 22 points.

Greater Allegheny struggled offensively, shooting just 31.7% from the field. Tomisha Pierce led all scorers with 26 points, but the home team failed to generate consistent offense.

The Lady Lions next matchup also would be important to the standings in the PSUAC west division, with DuBois hosting Penn State Shenango on Feb. 15. This also marked senior day for the Lady Lions, with four members of the team being honored after the game. In the contest itself, after a slow start, DuBois stormed back to defeat Shenango, 71-48, at the PAW Center.

The Lady Lions trailed 21-14 after the first quarter but tightened their defense and outscored Shenango 57-27 the rest of the way. Shaw led DuBois with 19 points, hitting five 3-pointers, while Hungiville recorded a dominant double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Bowser added 12 points and 13 rebounds, controlling the paint for the home team. DuBois shot 39.4% from the floor, including 39.1% from 3-point range. The Lady Lions also won the rebounding battle 53-41 and dominated the second-chance opportunities, outscoring Shenango 14-9 in that category.

DuBois held Shenango to just 20.8% shooting from the field and forced 16 turnovers. Shar’Da Williamson paced Shenango with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Alli Lewis contributed eight points and 10 rebounds.

The men’s team also played two games within the conference last week, seeing split results. The Nittany Lions began the week by visiting Penn State Greater Allegheny on Feb. 12. DuBois put up a strong offensive performance in the contest but fell short in a 94-88 loss to Greater Allegheny.

The Nittany Lions kept pace with Greater Allegheny through the first half, taking a narrow 49-47 lead into the break. However, Greater Allegheny surged in the second half, outscoring DuBois 47-39 to claim the victory.

Bryce Phillips led Greater Allegheny with a dominant 36-point performance on an efficient 16-for-21 shooting, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double. Elijah Hannon also played a key role, contributing 16 points and 13 rebounds, while DeJuan Lewis added 12 points off the bench.

For DuBois, Beau Verdill had an impressive showing from beyond the arc, scoring a team-high 20 points while going 6-for-8 from 3-point range. Niare Poplar followed with 17 points and was nearly perfect from the free-throw line, converting 7-of-8 attempts. Cole Love provided a spark off the bench, tallying 16 points with four 3-pointers.

The game featured a battle of contrasting styles, with DuBois excelling from the perimeter (14-for-40 from 3-point range), while Greater Allegheny dominated in the paint, scoring 66 of its 94 points inside. Greater Allegheny also held a significant advantage on the glass, outrebounding DuBois 43-24, which led to 13 second-chance points.

Following the loss, the Nittany Lions looked to get back on the winning track when Penn State Shenango visited the PAW Center on Feb. 15. DuBois delivered a commanding performance, defeating Shenango 114-83.

DuBois set the tone early with a high-energy first half, outscoring Shenango 61-33 by the break. The team maintained its offensive efficiency in the second half, with five players scoring in double figures to secure the win. Poplar led the way for DuBois, posting 22 points on an efficient 9-for-14 shooting, including two 3-pointers. Verdill added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Jordin Sommers contributed 12 points and 10 assists. Cole Love and Ashton Fortson also reached double figures, scoring 12 points apiece.

The Nittany Lion bench made a significant impact, contributing 46 points, with strong performances from Nate Cornelius (13 points) and Jadon Myers (eight points). The team shot 49% from the field and converted 15 3-pointers, keeping Shenango’s defense on its heels throughout the game.

Shenango struggled in the first half but found more offensive rhythm in the second, scoring 50 points after halftime. D’Montez Owens was the standout for Shenango, finishing with a game-high 34 points while shooting 14-for-15 from the free-throw line. Izzy Santiago added 17 points and nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome DuBois’ relentless attack.

Defensively, DuBois forced 21 turnovers and capitalized with 25 points off those mistakes. The team also dominated inside, outscoring Shenango 54-36 in the paint.

Both the Nittany Lions and Lady Lions close out their regular seasons with two games within the PSUAC. Currently, the Lady Lions hold a record of 12-9 on the season and sit in third place in the PSUAC west division. The Nittany Lions’ record currently stands at 11-13 and they stand in first place in the PSUAC west division.

This week, both teams will travel to face Penn State Beaver away from home on Tuesday, Feb. 18. The women’s game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and the men’s game will follow at 8 p.m. Both teams will then play their final game of the regular season at home at the PAW Center on Friday, Feb. 21, against Penn State New Kensington.

For complete athletic schedules, including any weather-related changes, visit the Penn State DuBois athletic website.