Spartans Pull Away to Deal Lions 69-60 Loss
ALTOONA, Pa. – After overcoming an early double-digit deficit in Monday evening's non-conference matchup in Adler Arena, the Penn State Altoona women's basketball team was unable to hang on in the second half, as York College (Pa.) used a big fourth quarter to hand the Lions a 69-60 loss.
Penn State Altoona (8-7) trailed 26-14 after the first quarter, but the Lions surged ahead on the shoulders of a 20-7 scoring advantage during the second quarter. The home team continued to hold a narrow lead by the conclusion of the third, but York (10-5) outscored Penn State Altoona 21-10 in the fourth quarter to nab the victory.
Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) led Penn State Altoona in scoring with 18 points, including going 4-for-8 from three-point range, while adding seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) posted her third double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, and she also tallied three steals, two blocks, and two assists.
Jordan Bisignani (Pittsburgh, PA/Peters Township) also scored 17 points for the Lions to go along with six boards and three assists, and Jess Burns (South Fayette, PA/South Fayette) chipped in seven points and four rebounds.
York got a game-high 20 points from Alyssa Hocker. Makenna Zimmerman finished with 17 points for the Spartans, while Taylor Burda and Breana Grim added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
York worked its way out to a 10-0 lead by the 7:27 mark of the first quarter, including getting three-pointers from Burda on back-to-back offensive possessions. Penn State Altoona got on the board courtesy of a three-pointer by Burns at 7:14, but layups from Grim and Zimmerman helped the Spartans to a 12-point lead, 14-3, by 5:48. York maintained a comfortable lead throughout the period, and Georgia Panopoulous connected on a three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining in the quarter to give the Spartans a 26-11 advantage, the visitors' largest lead of the night. McCracken hit from three-point range in the closing seconds, but the Lions finished the opening quarter behind 26-14.
In the second quarter, Penn State Altoona rallied to take a one-point lead by halftime, thanks to a defensive effort that limited York to just seven points on a 16.7 percent field goal percentage. Two treys and a layup from McCracken made it an eight-point game, 30-22, by 7:04. Two baskets from Sayles and one apiece by McCracken and Bisignani trimmed the Penn State Altoona deficit to 33-30, and Burns' jumper at 3:13 got the Lions to within one, 33-32. Sayles hit a jump shot at 2:01 to give Penn State Altoona its first lead of the game, 34-33, and that score stood up until the halftime buzzer.
York started the third quarter with seven straight points, but three-pointers by McCracken and Bisignani helped Penn State Altoona stay within two points of the Spartans' lead, 42-40, by the 5:48 mark. Free throws and a layup by Sayles knotted the score at 44-44 with 3:12 left in the quarter, and a Bisignani basket at 2:38 put the Lions back in front, 46-44. After a Chelsea McCaulsky (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) foul shot, Bisignani connected from beyond the arc at 1:12 to put Penn State Altoona ahead by six, 50-44. York tacked four points on to its total after a pair of Zimmerman layups within the final 48 seconds of the quarter, and the game proceeded into the fourth with Penn State Altoona holding a 50-48 advantage.
York got off to another strong start to a quarter to open the fourth, scoring seven straight points over the first three minutes to go up 57-50. Sayles' layup and foul shot at 5:18 helped make it a five-point difference, 60-55, but York boosted its lead to 10 points, following Burda's layup at 3:21 that gave the visitors a 65-55 advantage. A Bisignani three-pointer and Sayles layup got Penn State Altoona back to within five, 65-60, but York blanked the Lions the rest of the way while adding four points to end the game with a nine-point decision.
With its final non-conference game of the season now behind it, the Penn State Altoona women's basketball team will focus on Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference play for the rest of the schedule, starting with a home game against league opponent Pitt-Bradford this Wednesday, January 17 at 7 p.m.
