Phoenixville, PA – Sophomore Aaron Hill hit a career-high 36 points in the season home opener, helping secure the 95-87 victory, their first season opener win since 2013. With the win, the Patriots start their 2019 campaign with a 1-0 record.

Bennie Howard Jr. was able to add 11 points, while freshman Derian Bradford contributed 8 points and a vital 15 rebounds in his career debut. Sophomore Steven Eng went 3-5 from behind the arc, adding to his 10 points for the evening.

As a team, Valley Forge gathered a 44.2% field goal percentage, 38.6% from the three, and an impressive 76.9% from the line. Additionally, the Patriots collected 28 points in the paint, 36 bench points, and 23 off of fast breaks.

In a tight race to the finish, both teams committed a significant amount of turnovers, and twelve steals a piece. However, the Patriots were able to out rebound the Gophers 49-47.

"We are really happy with the way our guys played down the stretch," first-year assistant coach Jeremiah Welch shared. "Scoring 54 points in the second-half showed great resiliency from our guys and we had a great three point shooting performance where we hit 17 three-pointers; we loved the energy in the gym and the passion of our players."

The Patriots will welcome the Wildcats of Pennsylvania College of Technology on Tuesday, November 12^th for a 6 p.m. tipoff.