New Kensington, PA- The Lions returned from Thanksgiving break as they welcomed PSU Dubois to the athletic center last night for a conference showdown. New Kensington entered the game looking to bounce back from their last-minute defeat last week to PSU Mont Alto.
The Lions used a 12-0 run over a 5-minute stretch early in the first half to jump out to a 17-6 lead, but Dubois responded, cutting it to 31-28 with just over 4 minutes before the break. This is as close as it would get, as New Kensington finished on a 13-3 run, taking a 44-31 lead into halftime. It was more of the same in the second half for the Lions, as their defense continued to wreak havoc on their way to an 83-60 victory.
New Kensington ended up forcing 20 turnovers as a team, which resulted in 34 points on the night, both season highs. Sophomore guard Aubrey Feaster II (Buffalo, NY), sophomore forward Benjamin Cunningham (Woodbridge, VA), and freshmen guard Donaven Johnson (Houston, TX) all finished with three steals apiece to lead the defensive effort.
Offensively, The Lions saw key contributions from all over the place. Freshmen guard Ta'rasi Means (Plum, PA) led all scorers with 15 points, sophomore guard Shyheim Flanagan (Breaux Bridge, LA) added 14, and Feaster chipped in 12 of his own. New Kensington's bench played a huge role, combining for 27 points as a unit, led by sophomore guard Dalton Wiles (Oakland, MD) with 10 and Johnson with 9.
The Lions will look to continue their winning ways this Friday, December 2nd as they welcome Penn State Hazelton to the athletic center for another PSUAC matchup.
Stay tuned at PSNKathletics.com
