Men’s Basketball in “Mint Condition” Amid Assertive Victory

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. - The Penn State New Kensington men's basketball team vanquished their opponent in front of a roaring home crowd Saturday afternoon, improving to 9-10 on the season.

Only one word can describe the sensational performance of the men on Saturday night . . . assertive.

Their opponent, Penn State Scranton, had almost no opportunities to shoot. When they did, the shot was interrupted and stolen by one of the New Kensington defenders. In the course of a game, it becomes apparent that one team is setting the pace while the other is following along. New Kensington not only set the pace, they owned it. For the full 40 minutes, every one of Scranton's missed shots was capitalized on. New Kensington led 20-8 in the first 10 minutes.

Additionally, the first half was dominated by Shyheim Flanagan (St. Martinville, La. / Westside) who wasted no time getting to the hoop. Benjamin Cunningham (Woodbridge, Va. / Christ Chapel Academy) connected on his precise three-pointers, and not enough can be said about Evan Clarke (Aston, Pa. / Garnet Valley) who is perhaps the most dangerous man on the court. The half came to an end with a buzzer-beater off the hands of none other than Shyheim Flanagan to thunderous applause.

All of the men contributed equally as the second half of play began. Jaden Stonework (Clinton, Md. / Gwynn Park) put in major work earning six points on the game. The offense only continued to upgrade as the game went on. However, it was the defense that called the shots in the final 20 minutes. Stonework along with Joseph Dusabe (Toronto, Ont. / Fox Chapel) exposed Scranton's offense all the way through. Thanks to them, not one time did the game come down to the wire.

It would be easier to ask who did not score Saturday evening as the men revealed complete command of the floor. Aubrey Feaster II (Buffalo, N.Y. / William B. Travis) supplemented the team's dominance and Scranton was defeated thoroughly 89-42. New Kensington's scoring leaders include Shyheim Flanagan with 18 points, Aubrey Feaster II with 16, and Evan Clarke with 13.

Saturday marked the third consecutive win for the men's program wherein they battered their opponent into submission. The team appears and sounds invigorated moving into their game tomorrow.

What is it about a team that improves their playing so dramatically in just a few weeks? Perhaps this question was asked of many great clubs throughout the history of the sport. But not until one follows the athletes closely does this question contain an answer. 

The word "frustration" comes about quite a bit in sports both in media and post-game examination. As far as what leads to this frustration, well, it is hard to say. There is no doubt that the men's basketball team is great. Their players are responsible on the court and their work ethic is unmatched.

These qualities are not new to the team. They have played and practiced this way since November. It could be said that their frustration period, which is now long gone, was a result of hard training that did not carry over to the games. In recent weeks, the players assessed their performance and concluded that now was the time that they would thrive.

"We had one tough practice," said Shyheim Flanagan during Tuesday's practice. "Where it was kind of discombobulated. Everyone was kind of frustrated but we needed that to happen so we could blossom."

Not long after this practice did they assume control of their games with win after win. "That really helped us as a team," said Flanagan. "After that practice, I feel like we're just uphill from here. So we needed that practice to get everybody on the same page and have a good team conversation. And now we're just taking off."

If this season were a novel, the men's team has definitely arrived on the same page. Their defeat of Penn State DuBois last weekend opened up the door, and their triumph of Penn State Beaver on Wednesday solidified this team as a hazard to the conference.

Evan Clarke picked up PSUAC Player of The Week on Tuesday as the team's success only continues. "We were just more disciplined," Aubrey Feaster II explained during Tuesday's practice. "We weren't necessarily going for steals, we just let it happen."

The men will play yet another division and conference game tomorrow, Sunday, January 30,  as they take on Penn State Wilkes-Barre at 3:00 p.m.

Written by Matt Heavner, PSNK Athletics Communications Intern