DiRIENZO LEADS BEHREND PAST SAINT VINCENT IN ECAC QUARTERFINALS

Tommy DiRienzo delivered his third 30-point game and seventh double-double of the season to propel the Penn State Behrend men's basketball team to an 81-64 victory over Saint Vincent College in the Eastern Collegiate Conference (ECAC) Men's Basketball Quarterfinals Saturday afternoon.

After trailing the Bearcats by six points at halftime (47-41), the Lions outscored Saint Vincent 40-17 in the second half, holding the Bearcats to only 16 percent (4-24) from the field. Behrend started the second period on a 29-10 run in the first 10 minutes. A Matthew McDonough three-pointer would give the Lions their largest lead of the game (81-64) with 2:17 remaining and they would would eventually claim their 21st victory of the season to move on to the semifinals. DiRienzo tied his season-high with 32 points on a career-high 15 field goals, while also collecting a game-high 10 rebounds. McDonough finished with 17 points and five rebounds, while Michael Sopko chipped in 10 points to go along with four rebounds. Senior RJ Marsh pulled down nine rebounds, while fellow senior Matt Niland dished out a game-high six assists for the Lions. 

Saint Vincent was led by Mike Iuzzolino's 16 points.

As a team, Behrend shot 54.1 percent (33-61) from the field, shooting 58.1 percent (18-31) in the second half. The Lions outscored the Bearcats in the paint (50-24) and in second chance points (13-5). This marks Behrend's first ECAC win since 2022 when the men's basketball program defeated Manhattanville (58-48) in the first round.

The Lions will battle the hosts Juniata College in the ECAC semifinals on Saturday at 2 p.m.