Going into the United East playoffs, Pennsylvania College of Technology men’s basketball coach Geoff Hensley thought his last-seeded but battle-tested team might be in a position for something special. He was right.

The Wildcats, who had lost five games in a row to close out the regular season, scored back-to-back upset wins this past week to reach Tuesday’s semifinal, where they will face top-seeded Bryn Athyn at 7 p.m.

The last time that Penn College reached a conference semifinal round was during the 2010-11 season.

In a first-round game on Wednesday, the 12^th-seeded Wildcats built a 10-point halftime lead and led by 20 in the second half before going on for a 94-85 win at fifth-seeded St. Mary’s (Md.) College. Seniors Gavin Barrett of Roselle, New Jersey, and Livingston Cross of Union, New Jersey, led the way as Barrett had 27 points, and Cross 24 points and 15 rebounds, his 22^nd double-double of the season. The win was just Penn College’s second in seven meetings against St. Mary’s.

At fourth-seeded Keystone College in a quarterfinal game on Saturday, Penn College won, 77-71, to earn its spot in the semis. The victory gave the Wildcats their third 10-win season in a row, the first time that has happened since 2010-11 and during the NCAA era that began in 2014.

Led by Barrett’s 24 points and a 22-point, 15-rebound effort from Cross, Penn College opened a four-point lead at the intermission and never trailed in the second half while recording its first win in three-lifetime meetings against Keystone.

Earlier in the week, Cross capped the regular season the same way he started it by earning a UE Player of the Week award after he averaged 29 points and 16 rebounds in the final games against Rosemont and Notre Dame (Md.) University.

Bryn Athyn brings records of 15-1 in the UE and 18-8 overall into Tuesday’s game after it advanced on Saturday with a 73-63 win over eighth-seeded Wilson College. Bryn Athyn’s lone conference loss was to Cairn University, 89-79, in early December, and it holds a 5-2 lifetime edge against the Wildcats.

Statistically, for the season, Bryn Athyn is averaging 71 points per game on offense and allowing 69.9. Four players average in double-figure scoring, led by Will Little (13.9) and Jakir Hampton (13.2). In conference-only games, Little is averaging 15.5, Hampton 14.3 and Isaac Marshall 11.4.

Clashing in Tuesday’s other semifinal are second-seeded Penn State Harrisburg and sixth-seeded Notre Dame (Md.) University. Notre Dame knocked off third-seeded Lancaster Bible College 78-71 on Saturday and Penn State Harrisburg outdid seventh-seeded Cairn 59-54.

Schedule/Record/Series History

Overall: 10-17

UE: 8-10 (6-10 regular season)

Wednesday, Feb. 19 — United East first round at St. Mary’s (Md.) College, W, 94-85

Saturday, Feb. 22 — United East Quarterfinal at Keystone College, W, 77-71

Tuesday, Feb. 25 — United East Semifinals at Bryn Athyn, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 1 — United East Championship, TBA

Women’s Basketball

Seeded fourth and hosting fifth-seeded Bryn Athyn College in a quarterfinal game on Saturday, Penn College led by three at 43-40 with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter before being outscored 11-4 down the stretch in a 51-47 season-ending loss.

Freshman RaeAnna Andreas of Berwick came off the bench to lead the offense with 12 points as she connected on four treys, while Rachel Teats of Middleburg and Lexi Troup of Huntingdon each scored 11, and Gigi Parlante of Williamsport added 10 points.

Closing out a 15-11 overall (12-5 all UE) season gave the Wildcats of coach Britni Mohney their best records during the program’s NCAA era, which began in 2014, and best overall mark since 2008-09, when they finished 16-10.

Earlier in the week, Parlante wrapped up the regular season with her fourth UE weekly award as she was named the Offensive Player of the Week after she averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds in victories against Rosemont and Cedar Crest.

Schedule/Record/Series History

Final overall: 15-11

Final UE: 12-5 (12-4 regular season)

Saturday, Feb. 22 — United East Quarterfinal vs. Bryn Athyn, L, 51-47

End of season

Men’s Lacrosse

Freshman Elliot Dotson of Wilmington, Delaware, scored four goals and had three assists in a 15-9 loss at Montclair State University on Saturday. The six-goal differential was the closest in three-lifetime matches between the two teams, all won by Montclair.

Schedule/Record/Series History

Overall: 0-2

UE: 0-0

Saturday, Feb. 22 — at Montclair State, L, 15-9

Wednesday, Feb. 26 — at Juniata College, 7 p.m. (Penn College leads 1-0)

Saturday, March 1 — host Misericordia University, 1 p.m. (Misericordia leads 1-0)

Wednesday, March 5 — at Lycoming College, 7 p.m. (Lycoming leads 1-0)

Baseball

Opening its season at first-time foe Gettysburg College in a Sunday twin bill, Penn College lost by scores of 11-3 and 11-1. In the opener, Dallas Griess of Williamsport, Shawn Townsend of Hatboro and Kevin Cute of Glenside each had two hits, with one of Griess’ a double. In the second game, the Wildcats were limited to three hits.

Schedule/Series History

Overall: 0-2

UE: 0-0

Sunday, Feb. 23 — at Gettysburg College (2), L, 11-3; L,

Friday, Feb. 28 — at Lancaster Bible College, 2 p.m. (Penn College leads 17-10)

Sunday, March 9 — vs. Worcester Poly Institute (2) at Myrtle Beach, SC (Worcester leads 1-0)

Wrestling

Penn College wrestlers were seventh in a 12-team field and had four podium, with three fourth-place and one sixth-place finish, in the Mideast Futures Tournament on Saturday.

Ending fourth for the Wildcats were Giovanni DiBiagio of Easton, 1-2 at 125 pounds; Blake Dergham of Slatington, 3-2 at 133; and Aiden Osborne of Stoneboro, 2-2 at 184. Josh Howard of Plantsville, Connecticut, 4-2 at 165, was sixth.

Host TCNJ led the field with 109 points and was followed by Stevens 92, NYU 82.5, Millersville 77, Wilkes 42.5, Gettysburg 33, Penn College 29, Elizabethtown 28, Ursinus 22.5, Marymount 14, McDaniel 12.5 and Muhlenberg 12.5.

Schedule/Record/Series History

Overall: 7-2

Final AMCC: 4-0

Saturday, Feb. 22 — Futures Tournament at The College of New Jersey, 7 of 12

Saturday-Sunday, March 1-2 — NCAA Division III Region 2 Championship at Lycoming College, 10 a.m.

Archery

Schedule

Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23 — Indoor Collegiate Nationals at Harrisonburg, Va.

Saturday-Monday, April 19-21 — Eastern Region Outdoor Championships at Harrisonburg, Va.

Softball

Schedule/Series History

Overall: 0-0

UE: 0-0

Saturday, March 1 — at Messiah University (2), 1 p.m. (first-time opponent)

Thursday, March 6 — at Juniata College (2), 3 p.m. (first-time opponent)

For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.

For more about the United East, visit the conference website.