Behrend Men's Basketball Set to Host ECAC First Round Game

The Penn State Behrend men's basketball team secured the #4 seed for the ECAC South Men's Basketball Tournament and will host #5 Bethany (WV) on Wednesday, March 4 in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off in the Junker Center.

The Behrend men were eliminated in the semifinals of the AMCC men's basketball tournament and enter the ECAC tournament with a record of 17-9 on the season.  Behrend has a history of ECAC playoff appearances as this will be the ninth time the squad has competed in an ECAC postseason tournament.  The blue and white captured the ECAC title ten years ago during the 1998-99 season. 

The Behrend Lions defeated the Bethany Bison (17-11) earlier this season in the Junker Center as part of the Behrend Tip-Off Tournament when the blue and white earned a 71-66 win on November 21. 

Behrend has been led in scoring this season by Adam Potter (Pittsburgh/Mt. Lebanon) and Adam Kaiser (Erie/Cathedral Prep).  Potter is averaging 13.3 ppg and also leads the team in rebounds, grabbing 6.0 per game.  Kaiser averages 13.2 ppg while making a team-high 80 shots from 3-point range.  Tom Newman (Girard/Northwestern) leads the team in assists with 72, while Drew Seker (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) is the team leader in steals with 36 thefts on the season.

Bethany lost its last game, in the PAC championship game on February 28, to Thomas More College.  The Bison have three players averaging double-figures in scoring, Lance Beckwith (15.8 ppg), Joe Testa (12.1 ppg), and Petre Petkovski (11.8 ppg) and have won six of their last eight games.

The eight-team ECAC Tournament will feature four first-round games on Wednesday hosted by the higher seeded teams.  The four winners will then advance to one site for the semifinals and championship game, which will be hosted by the highest seeded team remaining.  The semifinals will be played Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., with the championship game taking place on Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m.

2008-09 ECAC South Men's Basketball Tournament

#1 Cabrini vs. #8 Penn State Altoona
#2 Catholic vs. #7 Grove City
#3 Pitt-Bradford vs. #6 W & J
#4 Penn State Behrend vs. #5 Bethany (WV)