Beaver, York to Meet it Both PSUAC Basketball Championship Games

REC HALL SPECTATOR INFORMATION

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 2026 Penn State University Athletic Conference men's and women's basketball championship games are set, with Penn State Beaver and Penn State York set to square off in both finals. It's the first time in over 15 years that the same match-up will take place in both games.

The championship games are slated for Monday, February 23rd at Rec Hall on the University Park campus. The women's game will tip at 4:30 p.m., with the men's to follow at 7:15 p.m. Rec Hall, the current home to Penn State's Division I gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling teams, served as the home to Penn State basketball until 1996. 

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Both tournaments saw very few upsets, with just one in the men's bracket before Friday night's semifinals. But Beaver (14-14 overall, 9-7 PSUAC) added another to the list, knocking off the West's top seed Penn State Fayette 66-47. Beaver, the two-seed from the West, also picked up a win in a defensive battle against Penn State Greater Allegheny in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, knocking their rivals off for a third time in the month of February. 

In the men's championship game, they'll face the top-seed from the East, York, who finished the regular season with the best record in the PSUAC at 15-1 and 26-4 overall. York knocked off Penn State Schuylkill 77-67 in the quarterfinals before toppling rival Penn State Mont Alto in the semifinals, 74-47. York also won the only meeting between the two teams in December, with an 89-62 triumph.

Both top seeds in the women's bracket held serve in a tournament that saw only one upset. York (22-3 overall, 14-0 PSUAC) advanced with convincing wins over Schuylkill in the quarterfinals (74-37) and Penn State Hazleton in the semis (66-34). They'll look to remain unbeaten against PSUAC opponents, which included a 66-53 win over Beaver in December. 

In the semifinals, Beaver (22-4 overall, 13-2 PSUAC) took down the only other team to have beaten them during the regular season, pulling away from Penn State DuBois in the fourth quarter to secure an 83-63 win and earn the right to defend their title. Beaver also beat Penn State Shenango in the quarterfinals, 87-43. Beaver has won the last two PSUAC women's basketball titles, and four of the last five.

WHO TO WATCH

Both championship games will feature some firepower, with the Beaver women and York men leading their respective leagues in points per game this season. But offense won't be the only end of the floor that will get attention, as York's women led the PSUAC in points allowed with just 47.1 per game. The York men finished second in the PSUAC at 71.7 points per game, while Beaver's men's team finished fifth at 75.3 points allowed per game. 

Delaney Burroughs, the recently anointed women's East Division Player of the Year, finished the season second in points per game with 24.9. She was also first in three-point percentage among qualified players, burying a league-best 76 triples to this point. Burroughs' teammate Harper Poff served as a solid second option on offense for York, averaging 13.5 points per game and nearly nine rebounds. Poff was named the East Rookie of the Year for her outstanding season. Skylar Curley also averages 12.2 points per game, while York also boasted three of the top five assists leaders in the PSUAC this season.

They'll face perhaps the deepest team in the PSUAC, with Beaver offering three players who averaged double-digit points throughout the season, and a fourth at 9.8 points per game. Bailey Rieg, Beaver's long-range specialist, averages 15.2 points per game to lead the way. Teammate Ny'Ashia Barnes adds 11.3 and West Defensive Player of the Year Katie Enderle adds 10.8 a game. Behind them, Jaden Tesch and Caitlyn O'Hara combine for more than 18 points per game. Beaver also led the league in steals per game with more than 16, which contributes to their uptempo style.

In the men's game, East Division Co-Player of the Year Terrell Neal leads York back to the championship game as they seek another title after capturing their last in 2024. York has won six championships since 2013, and looks to stake their claim to a seventh. Neal led his team with 19.1 points per game, mostly from inside the arc, shooting 58 percent from the field. Neal has been an excellent all-around player for York, pulling down more than five rebounds and dishing out 3.1 assists per game. Teammate James Barlow was named the East Defensive Player of the Year after contributing 11.4 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. John Godinez (13.1) and Quentin Wells (12.0) also average double-digit points for York.

Much like the other three teams in the championship games, Beaver's men's team also offers a balanced offensive attack. Ny'Zir Dix averages 13.4 points per game while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. Jabari Gayle and Jermaine Knaff each average just over 10 points per game, as four other players contribute six or more points per contest. Beaver also boasts four players who average a steal per game, but no one averaging more than five rebounds.

HOW TO WATCH

For those traveling to University Park and the State College area, please see the Rec Hall Spectator Information linked at the top of this story. 

If you are unable to attend the games in person, you can watch the games live on the PSU Campus Athletics Network at www.psucampusathletics.com. You can access the Network from a web browser, or download the PSU Campus Athletics Network app on your smart device, including phones, tablets and televisions. Search for the "PSU Campus Athletics Network" on your iOS or Android device, as well as on your smart TV or streaming device. It is available on most, but not all, streaming services.

WHAT'S NEXT

The PSUAC Men's and Women's Basketball champions each earn the PSUAC's automatic bid into the United States Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II Basketball National Championship tournaments, slated to begin in Buffalo, NY on March 1st, 2025. Depending on USCAA Coaches Poll rankings, the losing teams may still receive an at-large bid to its respective tournament.