ERIE, P.A. – The Medaille College men's basketball team is advancing to the 2022 AMCC Men's Basketball Championship Game with their upset over the number one seeded Penn State Behrend Lions. The Mavericks took the win 70-63.

The Mavericks travelled hungry for their next playoff win. The game started with an early layup from the Lions. Not too long after, Daunte Wilcott (Erie, PA, Mercyhurst Prep) made the first bucket for the Mavericks tying it back up. Only 20 seconds later, the Lions answered back. It was the beginning of a very close game. At 16:36, the Lions went up 7-4 with a made free-throw. They would hold a lead from here. At 10:56, after four unanswered baskets, the Lions went up 18-7. Jorarei Bile (Oxon Hill, MD, Oxon Hill) broke that streak with a layup in the paint at 8:26. Travis Sanders (Cleveland, OH, Euclid) scored only seconds later after Bile steal. Rodney Graves (Woodbridge, VA, Colgan) added to it with a jumper, and cut the Lions' lead to five points. At 4:52, the Mavs started a comeback. Kendall McGill (Largo, MD, Largo) got it started with a jumper in the paint. After two made free-throws from the Lions, Sanders made a big three to stay within four. Graves, Bile, and Jaqwan Washington (Bryan, TX, Bryan) helped them stay in it. Finally, with only three second remaining in the half, Graves made a last second three to put the Mavs within one. The Lions held the lead 33-32.

Wilcott opened the half again, this time with a first possession jumper to put the Mavs in the lead. Bile and Graves scored back to back to back to made the score 40-33. They came out of the locker room with lots of momentum. The Lions score their first points of the half at 15:52, but McGill answered back 20 second later from behind the arc. The Lions were staying close behind. Nick Carmichael (Ontario, NY, Wayne) and McGill put up points on their next three possessions. At 7:52, Graves drained a three to grow their lead to nine points. At 5:55, the Lions took their turn for a comeback. It started with two made free-throws, and at 4:15, the sealed the tie with a jumper. There were multiple missed shots from both teams after the tie. Graves broke that off of a second-chance three, and the Mavs were back in the lead with just under two minutes to go. Washington extended the lead to five point with a steal and a made jumper on a fast break. The Lions started to foul just to get the ball back. Washington, Graves, and McGill drew fouls and scored five out of six of their free-throws. This would be the end. The Mavs move on to the championship game!

Game leaders for the Mavericks were Graves with 23 points going 7-15 with four threes, nine rebounds, five assists, and one steal, McGill with 13 point going 5-13 with two threes, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals, and Washington with nine points going 3-9 with one three, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

The Mavericks will now advance to the championship round of the AMCC Tournament. They will face the three seed La Roche at Penn State Behrend for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off.