READING, Pa. – The Albright men's basketball team (1-0) opened the 2023-24 season in style on Wednesday (Nov. 8) evening on their home floor against Penn State Berks (1-0). Albright was in control of tonight's game from start to finish to open their season on the right note downing Penn State Berks by a final score of 116-69.

The Lions scored 116 points tonight to set a new program record for points scored in a single game. The 116 points are four more than the previous program record of 112 set in 1954, 69 years ago. 

Tonight's win for the Lions is the 15^th straight over Penn State Berks. Albright and Penn State Berks have matched up 15 times in their programs history and Albright is a perfect 15-0 against Penn State Berks.

Albright picked up where the left off last season on the offensive end of the floor. Albright shot 43.2% from the field in the first half giving the Lions 48 first half points. Nine different Lions registered at least one point in the opening 20 minutes.

The reining MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year, Eric Chamberlain was all over the court for Albright in the first half. Chamberlain went a perfect 8-8 from the field for 17 first half points. In addition to the points, Chamberlain tallied four first half steals picking up where he left off a season ago.

Albright used two big first half runs to their advantage giving themselves a 12-point advantage at the break leading 48-36.

The offense in the second showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, the offense got better. Albright scored 68 second half points on an eye popping 64% from the field. Additionally, the Lions had it going from beyond the arc shooting 64% just from three in the second half.

Albright was fantastic in the second half on both ends of the floor to close out the game leaving no doubt who was the better side and sending the raucous Bollman Center crowd home with a dominant 116-69 victory.

Albright finished with five scorers in double figures. Chamberlain with 29 (career high), Qadir Mitchell with 17, Robert Mangum with 14, Akhir Keys with 12 (career high) and Chris Kouemi with 10. A total of 16 different Lions scored at least one point in tonight's game. Scoring their first collegiate points in tonight's game was Keys, K'Mari Smith, Joey Callahan and Mel Lindsey.

Chamberlain was brilliant tonight for the Lions. Chamberlain shot 12 times and made all 12 of his shots including three from behind the arc. The 12-12-night places Chamberlain in a tie atop the Albright record books for shooting percentage in a single game. Chamberlain finished with a career high 29 points and for good measure added four assists and five steals to his otherworldly stat line.

Qadir Mitchell poured in 17 points to give the sophomore guard a new career high. Mitchell had it going all night long but especially in the second half. Mitchell drained four threes in the span of two minutes midway through the half to put the game away for the Lions. Mitchell finished with five threes in the game, shooting 6-9 from the floor overall.

Keys matched Mitchell in the second half draining four threes of his own. For Keys, tonight was his first ever colligate game but Keys looked like a natural on the court scoring 12 points in five minutes of game action.

Kouemi earned the start this evening and turned in a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Up Next:
The Albright men's basketball team will have a long layoff returning to action on Saturday, November 18 at the Marymount Tournament. The Lions will square off against Marymount on the 18^th with tip off set for 1 p.m.