Alexander’s career night leads Penns Valley over Tyrone

As the fourth quarter wound to a close, Penns Valley boys’ basketball coach Terry Glunt had the chance to recognize his starters playing in their final home game.

With 2:13 left in regulation, Ben Alexander trotted off the court to thunderous applause. Seconds later, Zach Engle and Logan Pearce did the same, and the Ram Dome student section gave them a noticeable ovation.

And they deserved it.

It was an appropriate Senior Night for the Rams’ terrifying trio — Alexander scored a career-high 33 points, Engle logged eight blocks, and Pearce nailed three 3-pointers as Penns Valley (16-4, 11-2 Mountain League) prevailed 63-36 over Tyrone (13-6, 10-3) on Friday.

“I can’t think of a more fitting way for this group of seniors to end their careers at the Ram Dome,” Glunt said. “Nothing but a great night for some great kids.”

The Rams didn’t waste much time, either, stifling Tyrone’s potent offense and pushing the pace to a domineering 31-8 halftime lead.

Defensively, it seemed as though Penns Valley came up with a steal every other possession, as Engle played role of brick wall in the paint. The 6-foot-7 center had five blocks and five rebounds in the first half alone.

The Rams were rolling offensively, too. Alexander had 14 first-half points, while Pearce patrolled the perimeter — and the backcourt duo polished off the second quarter with a bang.

With less than a minute to go until the break, crisp ball rotation found Pearce all alone in the left corner, and he obliged, hitting a crowd-igniting trey.

The Ram Dome was even louder when, after yet another defensive stop, the Rams found Alexander by himself in the same spot as Pearce.

Nothing but net.

Penns Valley went into the locker room with its largest halftime lead of the season.

“It was pretty nuts, defensively going crazy,” Engle said. “Getting steals, getting blocks every which way. ...We were hitting on all cylinders.”

Pearce said the halftime atmosphere was an exciting one, but the Rams knew there were two more quarters to go.

“We just had to put our foot on their throats and keep pushing,” No. 23 said.

The Rams did so, and despite allowing a 20-point Tyrone third quarter, Alexander’s fourth put the game to rest. The high-flying guard had 10 more points in the final period, getting to the rim at will.

Alexander eventually came off the floor after hitting a pair of free throws, pushing Penns Valley’s lead to 61-33 and individually tying Tyrone’s team total.

Alexander was modest, though, crediting his teammates every chance he could get.

“That’s not all me,” Alexander said. “I just do my part. ... It just happened to be me who scored a lot of points tonight.”

Still, Alexander was happy his performance came on Senior Night — and against a quality opponent.

Penns Valley plays Tyrone again on Monday, before wrapping up its regular season at Williamsburg on Feb. 11.

And with District 6 playoffs on the horizon, Alexander likes where the Rams are at.

“We’re playing well as a team,” the senior said. “I think we can keep it going heading into districts.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Alexander’s career night leads Penns Valley over Tyrone."