Great winter sports season continues for Penn College
With a wrestling conference championship in the bag and playoffs looming for the basketball teams, the winter sports season has been great for Pennsylvania College of Technology athletics.
The men’s basketball team, seeded 12th in the United East Conference, will travel to fifth-seeded St. Mary’s (Md.) College on Wednesday, while the women’s squad, seeded fourth, on Saturday will host the winner of Wednesday’s first-round game between No. 5 Bryn Athyn and No. 12 Cedar Crest.
Wrestling
The Wildcats gave crosstown rival Lycoming College all it could handle on Thursday night in a 20-20 standoff that host Lycoming won 21-20 on criteria as it captured six of the 10 bouts.
Posting wins for Penn College were Kaden Ware of Brooklyn, Connecticut, at 133, Noah Hunt of Muncy at 141, Carter Davis of York at 165, and Nicholas Woodruff of Wyalusing at 197.
Although Lycoming improved to 5-0 in lifetime matches between the two teams, Penn College’s showing under first-year coach Dalton Rohrbaugh was its most competitive to date, with a 27-17 Warrior win in 2022 being the next closest. Lycoming has been a member of NCAA Division III since 1973 and Penn College since 2014.
On Saturday, in just its second season in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, Penn College rose to the top as it dominated the championships by sending 18 to the podium — eight of them champions — and finishing with 191 points in a five-team field.
Claiming individual titles were Justin Adams of York (125 pounds, 3-0 record on the day), Ware (133, 3-0), Hunt (141, 2-0), TJ Martin of Honesdale (149, 2-0), Davis (165, 2-0), Travis Green of Manchester, Maryland (174, 3-0), Isaac Cory of Montoursville (184, 2-0) and Nicholai Brotzman of Marietta (285, 1-0).
Green, with a fall, technical fall and an 8-1 decision in the final, was named the Outstanding Wrestler, and Hunt now has 98 career wins.
Placing third were Brett Patton of West Chester (149, 3-1), Gavin Gomes of Denville, New Jersey (157, 3-1), Luke Heimbach of Boyertown (125, 3-1), CJ Trimber of Moon Township (133, 3-1) and Cole Shupp of Danville (174, 3-1).
Finishing fourth were Isaac McGregor of Northumberland (141, 2-2), Ronan Moynihan of Portland, Connecticut (197, 1-2), Cavin Napoletano of Killingworth, Connecticut (157, 2-2), Josh Howard of Plantsville, Connecticut (165, 2-2) and Aiden Osborne of Stoneboro (184, 1-2).
Behind the Wildcats in the team standings were Penn State Behrend 127, Alfred State College 105.5, Pitt-Bradford 45 and Penn State Altoona 7.5.
Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall record: 7-2
Final AMCC record: 4-0
Thursday, Feb. 13 — at Lycoming College, L, 21-20
Saturday, Feb. 15 — Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships at Penn State Behrend, 1st of 5
Saturday, Feb. 22 — Futures Tournament at The College of New Jersey, 10 a.m.
Saturday-Sunday, March 1-2 — NCAA Division III Region 2 Championship at Lycoming College, 10 a.m.
Women’s Basketball
With Tuesday’s 79-18 rout of Rosemont College, Penn College improved to 14-10 overall and 11-4 in the United East, marking its most overall wins since the 2008-09 team was 16-10 and the most conference wins since the 2014-15 squad was 12-8. In the victory, Gigi Parlante of Williamsport scored a team-high 19 points and shared the team-high rebound total of 11 with teammate Emily Pardee of Williamsport. The double-double was Parlante’s 15th of the season.
Ending the regular season on Saturday at Cedar Crest College, the Wildcats picked up their fourth straight win 64-43 as Parlante scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for double-double No. 16.
Penn College’s overall record of 15-10 and 12-4 in the conference are its best since the NCAA era began in 2014.
Final UE regular-season standings: St. Mary’s (Md.) 16-1, Penn State Abington 13-3, Gallaudet University 12-4, Penn College 12-4, Bryn Athyn 12-4, Penn State Harrisburg 11-5, Notre Dame (Md.) University 11-5, St. Elizabeth University 10-6, Keystone College 10-6, Wilson College 9-7, Lancaster Bible College 7-9, Cedar Crest College 6-10, Valley Forge 3-13, Rosemont College 2-14, Penn State Berks 2-14, Penn State Brandywine 1-15, Cairn University 0-16.
Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall: 15-10
UE: 12-4
Tuesday, Feb. 11 — host Rosemont College (UE), W, 79-18
Saturday, Feb. 15 — at Cedar Crest College (UE), W, 64-43
Saturday, March 1 — United East Quarterfinal vs. winner of Wednesday’s game between Bryn Athyn and Cedar Crest, TBA
Men’s Basketball
In their regular-season home finale against Rosemont College on Tuesday, the Wildcats led by 11 points twice in the first half and fell behind by 18 in the second half before closing the gap to one with six seconds remaining and losing 73-71. In earning his 20th double-double of the season, Livingston Cross of Union, New Jersey, scored 23 points and had 14 rebounds.
At Notre Dame (Md.) University on Saturday, Penn College dropped its fifth in a row 89-88 in overtime. The Wildcats trailed by 14 in the first half before they rallied to go ahead 69-63 with 4:24 left. Regulation ended at 77-all, and it was back and forth in the OT until Notre Dame scored the last bucket with five seconds remaining.
Cross finished with 35 points and 18 rebounds, his 21st double-double. The 35 points tied his career high, and it marked the sixth time in his career that he has topped the 30-point mark.
Final UE regular-season standings: Bryn Athyn 15-1, Penn State Harrisburg 13-3, Lancaster Bible College 13-3, Keystone College 11-5, St. Mary’s (Md.) 10-6, Notre Dame (Md.) University 10-6, Cairn University 9-7, Wilson College 9-7, St. Elizabeth University 8-8, Valley Forge 6-10, Penn State Berks 6-10, Penn College 6-10, Penn State Brandywine 4-12, Gallaudet University 3-13, Rosemont College 3-13, Penn State Abington 2-14.
Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall: 8-17
UE: 6-10
Tuesday, Feb. 11 — host Rosemont College (UE), L, 73-71
Saturday, Feb. 15 — at Notre Dame (Md.) University (UE), L, 89-88 OT
Wednesday, Feb. 19 — United East first round at St. Mary’s (Md.) College, TBA
Men’s Lacrosse
In Friday’s season opener against first-time foe Susquehanna University, the Wildcats lost 21-12. Aidan McFalls of Gilbertsville and AJ Dotson of Wilmington, Delaware, led the offense with three goals each, while Dotson’s freshman brother, Elliot Dotson, had one goal and six assists.
Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall: 0-1
UE: 0-0
Saturday, Feb. 15 — host Susquehanna University, L, 21-12
Saturday, Feb. 22 — at Montclair State, noon
Wednesday, Feb. 26 — at Juniata College, 7 p.m.
Archery
Schedule
Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23 — Indoor Collegiate Nationals at Harrisonburg, Va.
Baseball
Schedule/Series History
Friday, Feb. 21 — at Gettysburg College, 2 p.m. (first-time opponent)
For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.
For more about the United East, visit the conference website.