MONACA, Pa. - The Penn State New Kensington men's basketball team improved to 8-10 at Penn State Beaver on Wednesday night following a vigorous team win.

Benjamin Cunningham (Woodbridge, Va. / Christ Chapel Academy) took to center court for the tip-off Wednesday as the men looked to exercise their swift offense at yet another game.

New Kensington maintained their strategic passing approach quickly as Cunningham put up the first points of the game on a brisk backward shot. The offense proved dangerous through the first 10 minutes with Evan Clarke (Aston, Pa. / Garnet Valley) lighting up the scoreboard from the three-point line.

Every player had a role on the floor as Sammy Carey (Springdale, Pa. / Springdale) and Jiaan Sehhat (Great Falls, Va. / Langley) surfaced as the most decisive and relatable athletes on the defensive rebound. The skill level of New Kensington again outweighed their opponent as they conducted thorough operations in passing and shooting.

Penn State Beaver stayed right on their heels the entire half with each team taking turns scoring until a brilliant offensive run by Aubrey Feaster II, (Buffalo, N.Y. / William B. Travis) Clarke, and Cunningham brought New Kensington ahead by six points.

Joseph Dusabe (Toronto, Ont. / Fox Chapel) acted as the trustworthy Forward taking control of the ball during fastbreaks and opening lanes for his teammates to score. The men acquired 20 rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play and achieved 42.3% of shots from the field. Penn State New Kensington led at the half 27-21. Evan Clarke led the men's scoring with nine points. He was followed by Feaster II with eight, and Cunningham with five.

The function of the men's team became more refined as the game went on. Joseph Dusabe had a great defensive half while also contributing to breaking the ties that controlled the final 20 minutes. Jiaan Sehhat supplemented the outstanding half of scoring which came at key points of the game.

Although the contest was close, New Kensington held on to the lead for the majority of the game. They reached a free-throw percentage of 72.7 and 51.0% of shots from the field.

After four ties and lead changes, Penn State New Kensington ended up with the victory, 69-45. The game's scoring leaders include Evan Clarke with 17 points, Aubrey Feaster II with 16, and Joseph Dusabe with eight.

Coming off an exhilarating performance over the weekend, the men plan to respond to their dependable and steady offense by keeping up a scorching pace at practice. You can always find at least one member of the men's basketball team in the Athletic Center working on free throws. The ability and drive to show up hours before the start of practice and work independently are what keep this team moving.

They play without thought. Their muscle memory is their greatest advantage. Muscle memory can only be achieved through hours upon hours of repetitions. They practice late, most nights 8:30-10:30. The men can play at any hour of any day.

Each player is also a full-time student. The eloquence on the floor is the result of practicing, studying, and keeping up with their academics. Additional and unexpected struggles only contributed to the team's readiness.

The pandemic was only one of many things that may have caused the team to get off course. "It made me better," said Shyheim Flanagan during a January 11 practice. "I kind of feel like it gave me time to be mentally prepared for this moment and physically prepared."

Flanagan's teammates would agree. Every day and every night is about basketball for these men, an admirable characteristic of the team. "It's just competing at the highest level," said Benjamin Cunningham during a January 11 practice. "The most dominant part is our offense but where we can improve on is defense and having more energy as a team."

And improve they did. In their previous outing against Penn State DuBois, the men's defense held off their opponent to minimal points the entire game.

Their success can be attributed to the team's obvious togetherness. The new players are introduced to the program and the winning mentality so they can play a part in the team's success. "We got some new guys but I think the chemistry was still there even though they just got here," said Aubrey Feaster II during a January 14 practice. "The chemistry was definitely there."

"I think we were moving (the ball) well . . ." said Feaster II. "Especially when we were up . . ." The men managed to capitalize on their ball movement in the days after, taking an outstanding win at home.

The men will play Penn State Scranton at home on Saturday, January 29, at 4:00 p.m.

Written by Matt Heavner, PSNK Athletics Communications Intern