Mountain Lions advance to final round in USCAA DII National Championship
On Tuesday, Mar. 12, the Penn State Wilkes-Barre men's basketball team played Penn State York in the final four of the USCAA Division II Small College National Championship at 4:30 p.m. in Petersburg, Virginia.
The first points for Wilkes-Barre were made by #20 sophomore Anton Berga (Queens, New York/Martin Luther High School) who made both of his free throws. Points in the first half of the game consisted largely of free throws, which gave the Mountain Lions a chance to stay ahead of York.
Three-point shots were few and far between, Anton Berga making the first one out of the three made on both teams for the entire game. 11 free throws were made in the first half, averaging 78 percent for the Mountain Lions.
#12 senior Jalen Willis (Baltimore, Maryland/Genesse C.C.) made a long two, demonstrating his prowess inside the arc. At the halfway point of the first half, Wilkes-Barre was six points ahead with a score of 15-9. Willis also made a jump shot from the foul line after Berga made both of his free throws.
A pass from #4 junior Rashod Ballard (Largo, Maryland/Ann Arundel C.C.) to the outside of the paint gave Jalen Willis the chance to go for the jump shot, securing two more points. #13 junior Jedidiah Ashton (Brooklyn, New York/Monroe College) made an impressive pivot at the net, evading York players to get a layup. Ashton also made a jump shot with nine seconds left in the half, and he would ultimately be the points leader for the Mountain Lions with 10.
The score at the end of the first half was 30-25 Wilkes-Barre.
Jedidiah Ashton continued to score with a jump shot at the elbow, earning two points. He went on to make four more points in succession, one with another jump shot and the other from a shot at midrange, near the three-point arc. After Anton Berga made both of his free throw shots, Ashton continued to help rack up points for Wilkes-Barre by avoiding York players with a spin, handing the ball off to #15 senior Wilvens Fleurizard (Tamarac, Florida/PSU Schuylkill) for the finishing layup.
Anton Berga made a jump shot just as the shock clock buzzer sounded, getting two points for the Mountain Lions. Jedidiah Ashton made a pass to #14 senior Teequan Holley (Queens, New York/Sullivan C.C.) who added two points to the board. Jalen Willis made an interception at York's net, breaking away to Wilkes-Barre's net and following with a layup.
Willis also made Wilkes-Barre's second three-pointer of the game after his layup. With Jedidiah Ashton's next layup, he made his 20th point of the game. Free throws continued to be important for the Mountain Lions' success in the second half. A total of 14 free throws were made, setting Wilkes-Barre that much more ahead of York.
As Rashod Ballard made both his free throws, it put Wilkes-Barre ahead 22 points for the last few minutes of the game. Teequan Holley finished off the scoring with a jump shot after three rebounds, beating York to the ball.
The final score of the game was 73-54 Wilkes-Barre. Top points scorers of the game were Jedidiah Ashton with 24, Anton Berga with 18, and Jalen Willis with 16.
The Mountain Lions go on to play in the final round of the DII Small College National Championship on Wednesday, Mar. 13 at 5:30 p.m. against Cincinnati-Clermont.
Written by Kyler Burke
Photo Credits, USCAA livestream