Billy Clapper's first career collegiate coaching victory couldn't have scripted out much better Wednesday night.

The first-year Penn State Altoona men's basketball coach watched the Lions rebound from a season-opening road loss Monday, win their home opener at the Adler Gymnasium in impressive fashion, and put forth a gutsy second-half effort that enabled them to pull away from visiting Grove City College.

The result was a 61-59 non-conference victory for Penn State Altoona, which took command of the game with a 9-2 run midway through the second half that helped the Lions break out of a 39-39 tie and build a 48-41 lead that they never relinquished.

Clapper's focus was on the Penn State Altoona team in the aftermath, not his first college coaching victory.

"It's nice for myself, but I'm even happier for the players,'' said Clapper, a former Tussey Mountain High School standout. "We had a tough loss Monday on the road (74-61 to Washington & Jefferson College), and our guys bounced back and improved as a team tonight.''

Zach Spitz, a 6-foot senior point guard who scored a game-high 17 points while adding nine assists and seven rebounds, led Penn State Altoona's second-half resurgence.

The Harrisburg area product scored 11 points in the second half, and played a vital role in two key field goals during the 9-2 spurt.

After a runner by Jay D Adamsky put Penn State Altoona up, 41-39, Spitz came up with a steal and fed fellow senior guard Justin Gasbarre for a fast-break layup that put the Lions ahead, 43-39.

Andy O'Keefe's bucket brought Grove City back to within two points, 43-41, but Spitz drained a 3-pointer from the top of the circle to create a 46-41 Penn State Altoona lead with 6:10 left in the game. A pair of free throws by Kirk Peters just over a minute later put Penn State Altoona ahead, 48-41.

"I think we came out with a lot of energy in the second half,'' Spitz said. "We have four starters - [Spitz, Gasbarre, Peters and Eric Gaetano] - who have all been playing here for at least three years, and that gives us a lot of continuity on the court.''

Peters had 16 points for the Lions, and, along with Spitz, gave Penn State Altoona a potent 1-2 punch.

"Spitz is an excellent point guard who really makes them go, and I thought Peters played an excellent game as well,'' said Grove City coach Steve Lamie, whose team was playing its season opener. "We're disappointed, but our hats are off to Penn State Altoona. They played well, especially down the stretch. They managed the clock well, and congratulations to Billy Clapper on the first win of his college coaching career. He had them well-prepared tonight.''

Even so, the game was not out of reach for scrappy Grove City until the final buzzer.

With just over a minute left to play, Adamsky hit a pair of free throws to give Penn State Altoona a 55-48 lead. He and Peters both added one free throw apiece in the final minute as Penn State Altoona withstood three 3-point goals from Brett Matson, O'Keefe and Joe McCoy over the final 43 seconds to hold on for the win.

Game notes: Former Penn Cambria standout Luke Tomaselli, a junior, started for Grove City and pulled down six rebounds ... Penn State Altoona visits Cabrini College of the Philadelphia area for a 2 p.m. non-conference tip Saturday.

GROVE CITY (59): Matson 4-8 3-4 13, McCoy 3-8 1-1 9, Vandermeer 3-4 8-8 15, O'Keefe 6-8 2-4 15, Tomaselli 0-9 1-4 1, Fleeger 2-4 0-0 4, Moran 0-0 0-0 0, Battaglia 0-0 0-0 0, Rambacher 0-0 0-0 0, Newell 1-2 0-0 2. Totals-19-43 15-21 59.

PENN STATE ALTOONA (61): Gaetano 0-3 0-0 0, Spitz 5-12 6-9 17, Peters 5-12 6-10 16, Adamsky 2-3 3-6 7, Gasbarre 4-9 0-1 9, Carter 3-4 1-2 7, Kanamine 0-0 0-0 0, Plasterer 0-0 0-0 0, Arvin 0-0 0-0 00, Brennan 0-1 0-0 0, Smith 2-4 0-0 5. Totals - 21-48 16-28 61.

Halftime: Grove City, 20-19. 3-point goals: Grove City 6-11 (Matson 2-3, McCoy 2-6, Vandermeer 1-1, O'Keefe 1-1); Penn State-Altoona 3-6 (Gaetano 0-1, Spitz 1-1, Gasbarre 1-2, Smith 1-2). Assists: Grove City 10 (Matson 3); Penn State Altoona 12 (Spitz 9). Rebounds: Grove City 27 (Tomaselli 6); Penn State Altoona 30 (Spitz 7).

Records: Grove City (0-1); Penn State-Altoona (1-1).