Fukon, Gourley make impact at Behrend
ERIE — Having to replace an entire starting lineup is a daunting task for any basketball program.
The men's team at Penn State Behrend faced that very challenge this season and two Butler County natives have stepped up to help keep the Lions a viable threat to win a second straight conference title.
Junior guard Kenny Fukon and sophomore forward P.J. Gourley, graduates of North Catholic and Knoch, respectively, have been major contributors for a Behrend squad that is 15-7 overall and 12-5 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference play entering Saturday's game against Penn State Altoona.
Fukon is leading the team in both points (16.4) and rebounds (6.8) while Gourley is posting 10.7 points and 4.3 boards per game.
Though not a starter the last two years, Fukon saw significant minutes that have helped him become a leader.
“I was fortunate to play right when I got here,” said Fukon, a Cranberry Township native. “I was on the floor for the conference title game last year (a 67-65 win over La Roche) and learned how to be part of a winning team.”
Fukon's career-high in points came against Franciscan earlier this month when he scored 26. His ability to play shooting guard and both forward positions has contributed to his team-leading 35.2 minutes per contest.
“Kenny has been our most consistent player all year,” said Behrend coach Dave Niland. “He's not about himself and is just trying to win the next game. He is by far our hardest worker. When your best player has those qualities, you have a chance to have a great year.”
Even though he knew he'd be a starter coming into the season, Fukon wasn't focused on his own numbers.
“I wasn't thinking about the number of shot attempts or points that I got,” he said. “Whatever is needed from me, I'll do.”
Gourley is playing his first season of basketball since his days at Knoch High School. He sat out his freshman year.“I wanted to see what life was like without basketball,” said Gourley. “By the end of the year, I really missed it, the competition and being part of a team.”Gourley was set to be part of the team last year, but had to recover from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.“This is his first year of college basketball and he has been great for us,” said Niland. “He's been out the last four games because of a concussion, but we're hoping to get him back for the last few regular season games and the postseason.”“The shot clock and the speed of the game, those are two big differences between high school and the college game,” said Gourley, who became a consistent starter in the seventh game of the season. “But I've been able to adapt my game.”Gourley put together a streak of seven straight games in which he scored in double digits and tallied his career-high of 19 points two weeks ago.“We've grown together as a group,” he said. “It's cool to see how we've grown as a unit.”Fukon, whose younger brother, John, is a sophomore guard for the Lions, is eager for Gourley to return to the lineup.“He's a (post player) who can shoot,” Fukon said. “He's a force inside for us, can move well and opens things up for the other guys.”
