Women’s Basketball Tops Greensburg for Third AMCC Win
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team improved to 3-0 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference on Wednesday evening, when the Lions powered past conference foe Pitt-Greensburg 73-59 in Adler Arena.
The victory ensures Penn State Altoona (6-7, 3-0 AMCC) its best start in the AMCC since the 2008-09 season, when that year's edition of the team won its first five conference games. The Lions overcame a slow start to Wednesday's contest and handled Pitt-Greensburg (6-8, 2-1 AMCC) the rest of the way.
Sarah Huston (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) recorded her first double-double of the season for the Lions, tying for the game-high in points with 22 while matching the team-best rebounds mark with 11. Huston was helped by an 11-for-12 showing at the free throw line, and she also finished with a team-best five assists and three steals.
Jess Burns (South Fayette, PA/South Fayette) matched Huston's scoring total with 22 points, and Emma Kitko (Houtzdale, PA/Moshannon Valley) added 13 points. Burns and Kitko each connected on four three-pointers.
Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) added nine points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, and Emily Munson (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Regional) tied for the team-high in rebounds with 11 while nabbing three steals.
Pitt-Greensburg was led by Sidney McCully, who scored 19 points, secured a game-high 17 rebounds, and led all players with four blocks. Melina Maietta added 16 points for the Bobcats, while Chloe Lunkondi scored 12.
After Pitt-Greensburg worked its way out to a 16-8 lead by the 2:44 mark of the first quarter, Penn State Altoona turned the tables by outscoring the Bobcats 20-10 during the second quarter. A jumper from Jordan Bisignani (Pittsburgh, PA/Peters Township) at 8:05 tied the score 16-16, and Huston's bucket at 5:39 kept things even, 18-18. Burns hit a three-pointer at 4:27 to put the Lions up 21-20, and she converted on a three-point play at 3:28 to make it 24-22. Burns added another three-pointer, and Huston made two foul shots with one second left to help the Lions to a 30-26 halftime lead.
Penn State Altoona widened its lead during the third quarter. Layups from Huston and Burns early in the period set the Lions' advantage at seven, 35-28, and another Burns trey at 6:25 made it 38-30. Kitko connected on a three-pointer at 4:25 and was fouled, sinking the ensuing free throw to increase her team's lead to 45-36. Kitko hit two more three-pointers over the remainder of the period, helping to boost Penn State Altoona's lead to 53-42 by the quarter's end.
The Lions shrugged off a push from Pitt-Greensburg early in the fourth quarter to reestablish a comfortable lead. The Bobcats opened the fourth on a 7-0 run, closing the gap to 53-49 by the 7:13 mark. But Penn State Altoona ended the run with another Kitko three-pointer, and Burns' basket from beyond the arc at 4:22 put her team's lead at 61-54. Sayles' jumper at 2:42 made it 65-57, and back-to-back layups from Sayles and Huston extended the Lions' lead to 70-57 by the 1:17 mark. Huston made a pair of foul shots 18 seconds later to give Penn State Altoona its largest lead of the night, 72-57.
Penn State Altoona remains at home for its next game, when the Lions will host AMCC opponent Pitt-Bradford this Saturday, January 14 at 4:00 p.m.
