by McKenzie Quirin

KEUKA PARK, N.Y. – The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team headed back on the road Saturday afternoon, where they were able to pull out a comeback win of 69-58 against non-conference opponent Keuka College at JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.

With the win against Keuka College (1-8), Penn State Altoona (7-3) continues its hot streak by winning each of its last five games, four of which were wins against Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponents.

The Lions' Jordan Bisignani (Pittsburgh, PA/Peters Township) held the highest scoring total of the game with 23 points, which set a new career-high, while adding two rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) also contributed a double-digit night for the Lions with 16 points, while recording 10 rebounds and one assist. Raniyah Green (Hillside, NJ/East Orange/Hillside) added 14 rebounds, a game-high, in Penn State Altoona's victory.

Keuka College's Mary Cotter and Meghan Ellis led the Wolves with double-digit scoring in their loss to the Lions. Cotter scored 15 points, as well as finishing with seven rebounds and two assists, and Ellis had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Missed scoring chances held the score at zero over a minute and a half into the first quarter. At 8:17, the Lions finally got on the board from a jump shot made by Bisignani, giving Penn State Altoona the game's first basket. Their lead was cut short, as the Wolves' Ellen Lavonas put in a layup to tie the game at two. Lavonas, not done scoring, connected on two free throws, putting Keuka College up 4-2 against the Lions.

As the time clocked down to the halfway mark of the first quarter, both teams were unable to score until Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) gave Penn State Altoona a 5-4 lead from a three-pointer. With a free throw from Janea Hamilton-Brown, Keuka College tied the game with 4:41 left in the first quarter. Hamilton-Brown added two more points on the board for the Wolves, as the Lions held a two-point deficit. Sarah Huston's (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville) free throw cut the Lions' deficit to one, and after Cotter's jump shot for Keuka, Sayles made a layup to get Penn State Altoona back in it, down 9-8. The first quarter ended with a Keuka College lead of 15-11, although both teams continued to push offensively.

Jess Burns (South Fayette, PA/South Fayette) got the scoring started for Penn State Altoona early in the second quarter from a big three pointer, cutting the Lions' deficit to one, 15-14. A pair of three-pointers from Cotter and Sophia Babcock extended the Wolves' lead to 21-14, putting the Lions' deficit at seven. Bisignani's jump shot lowered Keuka's lead to five points, and Green finally got on the board for the Lions with a three-point jump shot, decreasing Keuka's lead to 23-19. For the rest of the second quarter, both Penn State Altoona and Keuka College went back and forth with scoring chances, but it was the Wolves coming out on top, leading 38-28 as the game went into halftime.

Green and Sayles made one free throw apiece to get the Lions an early start in the third quarter, as they cut their deficit to eight, 38-30. Sayles cashed in on a jump shot to put Penn State Altoona closer to the Wolves' lead, and McCracken's jump shot cut the Lions' deficit to four, trailing 38-34. Penn State Altoona gave up points to Keuka, as they managed to score on a jump shot and a layup to increase their lead to 42-34, although the Lions did break up the Wolves' defense on a jump shot by Green at the 4:54 mark in the third quarter. With both teams not letting up, the score going into the last quarter of the game saw Keuka up 48-45, as Penn State Altoona flashed a spark of hope to rally past the Wolves and pull out a victory.

A big Bisignani three-pointer to start the last quarter tied up the score at 48. After Ellis managed to squeak in a layup to give Keuka an advantage, Sayles put in two free throws to tie the game again at 50 apiece. After tying the game up at 54, Green made a three-pointer to give the Lions a lead of 57-54. From there it was all Penn State Altoona on offense, as they found their groove and stuck to it with a Bisignani jump shot and three free throws, a McCracken layup, and Huston's jump shot and three free throws. Penn State Altoona closed out the game with a 69-58 victory, building off an impressive performance last Saturday.

Next up, Penn State Altoona women's basketball starts the New Year and their January schedule at home in Adler Arena with an AMCC game against Alfred State College on Wednesday, January 3, at 5 p.m.