Penn College Basketball Teams on Road for Opening PSUAC Playoff Games

After splitting in their final two regular-season games, Pennsylvania College of Technology men's and women's basketball teams enter Sunday's Penn State University Athletic Conference quarterfinal games as underdogs, but that does not mean they can't win.

The Wildcat men, seeded sixth, take a 10-5 conference and 12-13 overall record into their game at No. 3 seed Penn State Schuylkill (9-6, 10-13), while the women, seeded seventh, take an 8-6 conference and 9-14 overall record into their game at No. 2 seed Penn State Brandywine (12-1, 15-8). Both games will begin at 1 p.m. The men's game will be broadcast on WLYC/ESPN Radio Williamsport 1050 AM/104/1 FM and online.

Sunday's winners advance to semifinals at 6 p.m. Monday on the home court of the higher seed. The championship is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday, again on the home court of the higher seed.

Men Against all PSUAC opponents this season, Penn College has scored an average of 87 points per game on offense, while allowing 80. Leroy Joiner (Williamsport) is the team's leading scorer with 462 points and a 19.3 average. He is followed by Greg Solyak (Lancaster), who has 451 points and is averaging 18 per game; and Joe Simon (Renovo), with 327 points and a 13.6-per-game average. In their only previous meeting this season, Jan. 28 at Schuylkill, the Wildcats lost, 76-67.

"We need to put together the best run of the year," coach Gene Bruno said. "It is asking a lot to have a team play three games in a row on the road, but we have a shot and that is what you play for."

Women On offense, the lady Wildcats have averaged 60 points per game in conference action and allowed 57. Kierstin Steer is the team's leading scorer with 283 points and a 12.3 average; Jess Hohman is second with 259 points and 11.3 average. Both are freshmen from South Williamsport. In a regular-season game at Brandywine, Penn College lost, 79-64.

"As with every league game that we have lost this year, I really believe that they were all winable games," said coach Alison Tagliaferri. "We just need to buy into the fact that we have to play defense in order to be a great team. If we are able to come together and really give 100-percent effort and heart for the entire game and not just for moments of the game I believe we can win."

"Brandywine is an athletic team that will need to be kept off the boards. We also need to tremendously cut down our unforced turnovers, which have been a problem throughout the course of the season," the coach continued. "The girls need a gut check. We are in a win-or-go-home scenario now, so, if the sense of urgency to win that we haven't had since the middle of January shows up ..., we can definitely come up with a win. I believe it. (The players) just have to believe, it as well."