WINCHESTER, Va. – Penn State Altoona men's basketball extended its winning streak to four games on Friday evening, when the Lions grabbed a 70-58 victory over Southern Virginia University in the opening night of the Shenandoah Shootout at Shenandoah University's James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center.

The Lions (6-2) limited the opposition to a 32.5 percent field goal percentage and also took advantage of a significant edge at the free throw line. Penn State Altoona went 17-for-28 (60.7 percent) at the charity stripe, compared to a 1-for-10 (10.0 percent) showing at the free throw line by Southern Virginia (1-12).

Robbie Hicks (Rockledge, FL/Rockledge) put up a game-high 18 points for the Lions, including 4-for-6 from three-point range and 5-for-10 from the field overall. Cameron Gardner-Nicholson (Philadelphia, PA/Boys' Latin Charter) secured his fourth double-double of the season, grabbing a season-high 19 rebounds while scoring 15 points. Gardner-Nicholson's total of 19 rebounds is tied for the third-most in a single game in Penn State Altoona men's basketball history, and it is the second-highest total of his career.

Jack Kusters (Quakertown, PA/Lansdale Catholic) added 12 points and seven rebounds, and Andruw Harman (Chesapeake, VA/Great Bridge) scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds, and tied his season-high with four blocks. Trey Butterworth (Clarence, PA/Bald Eagle) tied the game-high with five assists.

Off the bench, Austin Krise (Allport, PA/West Branch) added seven points, and Nate Gillen (Johnstown, PA/Central Cambria) scored six.

Southern Virginia got 16 points from Jamier Cross and 10 points from Kimball Cottam.

Penn State Altoona had a solid first half on offense, shooting 51.9 percent from the field to help construct a 39-34 lead by halftime. The Lions found themselves in a close game midway through the opening period, but they pulled ahead to establish a five-point lead at the break.

Down 15-13 at 12:46, Penn State Altoona got a jump shot from Krise and three-pointer from Kusters to go up 18-15 one minute later. Layups from Gardner-Nicholson and Kusters followed, and a pair of free throws from Hicks made it 24-15 by the 10:15 mark. Threes from Kusters and Hicks put the Lions' lead at eight points, 30-22, with 6:48 to play in the half, and scores from Alex McClellan (York, PA/West York) and Gardner-Nicholson within the final 2:48 of the period got Penn State Altoona to a 39-34 advantage at the intermission.

Despite only shooting 9-for-25 from the field during the second half, Penn State Altoona did enough to stay on top. The Lions were helped by their defense, which held Southern Virginia to a 23.9 percent shooting percentage during the half.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Hicks early in the second half made it 49-34, and Gardner-Nicholson's dunk at 15:29 set the Lions' advantage at 53-38.

Southern Virginia pulled back to within four points, however, as baskets from Cross and Howe in consecutive possessions cut the Knights' deficit to 58-54 with 7:01 on the clock.

But after a Gardner-Nicholson free throw, Krise came through with a big three-pointer at 6:18 to make it 62-54, and his jumper at 4:47 got Penn State Altoona's lead back into double digits, 66-56.

Penn State Altoona made four free throws the rest of the way, three of them from Harman, to reach 70 points and ice the 12-point victory.

Next, Penn State Altoona will face Methodist University tomorrow, Saturday, December 28 at 3:00 p.m. in the Shenandoah Shootout's championship game.

Methodist is 6-4 overall after an 82-76 win over the weekend tournament's host, Shenandoah, in the first game on Friday.