Men's Basketball 2/21/2023 12:00:00 AM

Abington to Face Harrisburg in United East Semifinals

Abington, Pa. – The Penn State Abington men's basketball team will be competing in the postseason for the first time since 2019 as the third-seeded Nittany Lions face No. 2 Penn State Harrisburg in the United East Conference (UEC) semifinals on Friday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Horst Athletic Center on the campus of Lancaster Bible College. The winner will face the winner of No. 1 Lancaster Bible/No. 4 Wells College semifinal matchup in the United East Championship game on Saturday.

United East Tournament Schedule – Hosted by Lancaster Bible

Friday, February 24 – United East Semifinals
No. 1 Lancaster Bible vs. No. 4 Wells College – 5 p.m.
No. 2 Penn State Harrisburg vs. No. 3 Penn State Abington – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 25 – United East Final
Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 4 p.m.

Tickets to the Game
Tickets are on sale now for Abington's semifinal matchup against Harrisburg. Fans looking to attend Friday's game must order tickets in advance online as there will be no cash sales at the gate on game day. To purchase tickets, fans must visit Lancaster Bible's online ticket site and use group code ABINGTONTIX3 to reserve seats. Using the group code will allow Abington fans to purchase tickets before the general public. Tickets open to the general public on Wednesday beginning at 12 p.m. To purchase tickets click here or visit https://lbc.vbotickets.com/event/United_East_Mens_Basketball_Championships/91281

About Penn State Abington
The Nittany Lions finished the regular season with a 17-8 overall record marking the most victories in the program's Division III era which began in 2011-12. The 17 wins are the most since the team finished 22-6 in 2007-08. Abington wrapped up United East play with an 11-5 mark tying the program record for most conference victories in a season with the 2013-14 team that went 11-7 in the then NEAC.

Inside the Numbers

* Senior Alex Salata III ranks fourth in the United East in scoring this year after averaging a career-high 17.1 points per game through the regular season. Salata has scored the third most points in the conference with 427 total points.

* Senior Brian Randolph III also finds himself ranked among the conference's top scorers as he ranks 10^th in the United East with 14.2 points per game. His 354 total points in the regular season marks a new career-best.

* Junior Jake Schalki and Randolph are among the top rebounders in the United East. Schalki is averaging 7.0 boards per game; fifth-best in the conference. Randolph is ranked ninth with 5.8 rebounds per game.

* Defensively, Abington has allowed the fewest points this season compared to the other eight teams in the United East. The Nittany Lions, in 25 games, have held opponents to just 64.5 points per game.

Abington in the Postseason
The Nittany Lions are appearing in the conference tournament for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2018-19. Abington is 2-4 all-time in the postseason.

About Penn State Harrisburg
Harrisburg is no stranger to the postseason as the two-time reigning conference champions will look to make it a three-peat this postseason. Harrisburg finished the regular season 15-10 overall and 12-4 in conference play to earn the second seed in this year's tournament. Senior Nate Curry leads the team in scoring as he is averaging 15.2 points per game ranking sixth among the conference leaders. Curry is also ranked third in rebounding averaging 8.4 boards per contest.

All-Time Series
Friday night will mark the 12^th meeting between Abington and Harrisburg in the program's Division III era and just the second matchup in the postseason. The two teams faced one another in the 2013 NEAC quarterfinals with Harrisburg coming away with a 79-77 victory. Both teams split this year's regular season series with the road team coming up on top in both games. The 61-52 victory at Harrisburg back in January marked the first-ever win by Abington on Harrisburg's home court. Abington is 2-9 versus Harrisburg in the all-time series.

Next Up
The winner of Friday night's semifinal contest will face the winner of the Lancaster Bible/Wells semifinal game in the United East Championship Final on Saturday. The championship final is set for 4 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Brian Randolph III: G; 6' 4"; Senior

#30 Alex Salata III: G; 6' 2"; Senior

#32 Jake Schalki: F/C; 6' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#1 Brian Randolph III
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G

#30 Alex Salata III
: 6' 2"; Senior
: G

#32 Jake Schalki
: 6' 5"; Junior
: F/C

Players Mentioned

#1 Brian Randolph III

#30 Alex Salata III

#32 Jake Schalki

Players Mentioned

#1 Brian Randolph III

#30 Alex Salata III

#32 Jake Schalki