Mount Aloysius Rides Hot Second Half to Statement Win Over Penn State Altoona
CRESSON, Pa. - For a team that’s been grinding through a tough season, Wednesday night felt like a turning point for Mount Aloysius men’s basketball. Coming off a confidence-boosting win over Alfred State, the Mounties kept the momentum rolling with a 98-87 win over Penn State Altoona in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference play.
And this wasn’t just a win-it was a gutsy, high-energy performance that showed what this team is capable of when things click.
Junior guard Troy Tinch led the charge with 24 points on an ultra-efficient 9-of-13 shooting night, adding four made free throws on five attempts. But this was far from a one-man show.
Donovan Bass-Briscoe poured in 23, Senique Jenkins added 16, and Jordon Nelson chipped in 11. As a team, the Mounties knocked down 20 of their 25 free throws, a mark of focus and execution that’s been building over the past few weeks.
“Specifically on offense, we did a good job of playing through the pain,” head coach Marcus Thomas said after the game. “That’s something we’ve emphasized the last few weeks, and we’ve done a much better job of getting more consistency on offense.”
That offensive resilience was tested early. Mount Aloysius turned the ball over eight times in the first half and trailed 51-43 at the break. But even then, there were signs of life-they hit 10 of their 17 shots from the field in the opening period, showing flashes of the offensive rhythm that would carry them in the second half.
“We’ve tried to just be more desperate,” Thomas said. “Just try to really be as scrappy as we can.”
That scrappiness came to life after halftime. The Mounties tightened up their ball control, stayed aggressive, and shot 80% from the stripe to close things out. The second half was all about execution-and mental toughness.
“It goes with the mental focus,” Thomas said. “I thought we were locked.”
Tinch, who’s been a steady presence all season, credited the work he puts in behind the scenes-especially at the free-throw line.
“I wake up every day at six in the morning to work out and I practice specifically free throws,” he said. That commitment showed up when it mattered most.
Mount Aloysius, now 4-18 on the year, has taken its share of lumps. But if this game is any indication, they’re not folding. Coach Thomas’ message remains clear: keep stacking days, keep building.
“We just have to carry the momentum,” he said. “We have to continue to stack days.”
On the other side, Penn State Altoona started strong, riding a solid first half fueled by active defense and hot shooting. But as their offense cooled in the second half, so did their defensive edge.
“Our defense is really good when our offense is going well,” said Penn State Altoona coach David McGreal. “In the first half when we were scoring, we were stopping them; as soon as we start struggling to score, the first thing that goes is our defense.”
Portage native Kaden Claar led the Nittany Lions with 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting. Braelen Cage added 17, Andrew Escala dropped 15, and Rasheed Daniels chipped in 13. Altoona hit 11 threes on the night but couldn’t slow down the Mounties’ second-half surge.
Statistically, Mount Aloysius was locked in across the board. They shot a blistering 35-for-57 from the field, dominated the glass with a 34-27 rebounding advantage, and dished out 21 assists-seven of which came from Nelson, who played a key role as a facilitator.
Jenkins and Tinch each grabbed 10 rebounds, notching double-doubles and helping control the tempo on both ends of the floor.
Up next, the Mounties hit the road to take on Hilbert on Friday night, looking to extend their mini-run and keep building on the progress they’ve shown. Penn State Altoona will look to bounce back as they travel to face Penn State Behrend.
For Mount Aloysius, this wasn’t just a win-it was a statement that this team, despite the record, is still fighting, still improving, and still very much in the mix.