Phoenixville, PA – A desperate shot attempt in the final seconds by first-year
Matthew Altamirano would give the Patriots the 89-85 win over Penn State Berks on Wednesday evening.
The Patriots were led by
Matthew Altamirano as he posted his first double-double of the season, draining a career-high 30 points while collecting 11 boards. In addition,
Steven Eng had a phenomenal game, tying his career best 18 points with 7 rebounds.
Owen Bradford was a problem in the paint as he gathered 15 points.
"I am really pleased with the way we battled," head coach
DJ Damazo added. "On Monday, we had an intese practice and really challenged our guys, and I am really proud of their response. Matt obviously hit a huge shot and had a great game scoring the ball, but I also want to point out that he had 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Lastly, I want to call out
Steven Eng for his performance. We especially challenged Steven over the last couple of days, and he stood up to the challenge, playing the best game of his career. We need to continue to get better and tougher, but I am pleased with the gritty win."
The game began in favor of the Patriots as the Bradford duo combined for the first 10 points.
Steven Eng would start his night off with deep three ball, stretching the Patriots lead to eight. The Nittany Lions would respond back with a three-pointer from RJ Dixon, his first of the evening. Valley Forge continued to press their luck offensively as
Owen Bradford hit a behind the arc shot, followed by a fast-break layup from Altamirano. As the Lions tracked the Patriots closely, Altamirano drove to the basket to earn an old-fashioned 3-point play with a foul, giving the Patriots the spark. From there,
Owen Bradford found the bottom of the net for another three-pointer, with another traditional and-1 play from
Bennie Howard Jr. Down 27-11, the Nittany Lions quickly grouped an 18-2 run with 6 minutes remaining to tie the game 29-29. However, Valley Forge locked their defense down to close out the half on a 14-6 run, allowing the Patriots to enter half-time with an 8-point advantage.
Entering the second-half, both teams knew it would be a battle. Valley Forge was able to create a 9-point lead with 12 minutes on the clock. The Nittany Lions wouldn't go down without a fight as Jared Houck found his groove from behind the arc. With the game all tied up at 65, the Patriots initiated offensive rhythm powered by a free-throw from Altamirano, back-to-back three-pointers from
Steven Eng, and a jumper from Eng to give Valley Forge the 6-point benefit. Jeff Lorah responded for the Lions as he drained a three, followed by a layup from Houck, and a pair of good free-throws from Dixon to give the Lions back the lead. Houck and Lorah would go on to combine for three consecutive three-pointers, attempting to make it difficult for the Patriots to hold onto hope. However,
Matthew Altamirano would step up to the plate, earning the next 5 points from a three and a jumper. Down 85-84, Valley Forge pressed for a defensive stop as they forced the Nittany Lions to a shot clock violation, giving the Patriots the ball with only 13 seconds remaining. After two Patriot timeouts,
Derian Bradford would find Altamirano who drained a trey ball with a foul. Although Altamirano missed his and-1, he was able to find the offensive board, sending him back to the free-throw line where he netted both shots, ending the game with an 89-85 victory over Berks.
As a unit, Valley Forge went 30-71 from the field (42.3%), 12-28 from behind the arc (42.9%), and 17-24 at the line (70.8%).
The Patriots will travel to Hype Park, NY as they face the Steels of the Culinary Institute of America on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff.
