by McKenzie Quirin

ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team dropped a close game on Wednesday night at Adler Arena, falling 70-60 to Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Carlow University.

Penn State Altoona (8-5, 5-2 AMCC) got on the board early and led for parts of the first half, but Carlow's (6-5, 5-2 AMCC) offense turned the tables on the Lions, as the visitors took a seven-point lead going into the half. Penn State Altoona came back to grab a narrow advantage in the third quarter, but the Celtics reclaimed their lead and never relinquished it the rest of the way.

Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) led the Lions in points with 16 to go along with eight rebounds, one assist, a steal, and a block.

Three other Penn State Altoona starters also ended the night with double-digit points. Jess Burns (South Fayette, PA/South Fayette) had 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Jordan Bisignani (Pittsburgh, PA/Peters Township) had 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal. Raniyah Green (Hillside, NJ/East Orange/Hillside) put up 10 points and a team-high 12 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.

For Carlow, Emiley Hillgartner scored 25 of the team's 70 points while adding eight rebounds, five assists and six steals. Three other Celtics players ended their victory with double-digit points: Shaelyn Clark with 15 points, Emma Aubrey with 14 points and Sydney Carr with 12 points.

In the first quarter, the Lions were able to start off the game early from a Green layup to lead 2-0 at the 9:16 mark. The Celtics got on the board and took a 3-2 lead after Carr posted up a three-point jump shot that dug a one-point deficit for Penn State Altoona. Burns' three-pointer put Penn State Altoona back on top, leading by a score of 5-3. Carr tied the score at five a piece at the 7:13 mark, but Bisignani's free throw added a point to the Lions' score.

A pair of Green free throws extended the Lions' lead to 8-5, putting the Celtics down three, and Bisignani's three-pointer increased Penn State Altoona's score to 11-7. Closing in on the end of the first quarter, Hillgartner made a layup to help Carlow take the lead, 14-13, with 2:16 left. Penn State Altoona lost the first quarter, down 17-14 as the buzzer rang.

Bisignani got the Lions on the board first to start the second quarter with a layup, after Penn State Altoona gained possession off a steal by Bisignani. Clark's layup put the Celtics back on the board, leading 19-16. A Sayles free throw tied the score at 19, and Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood) put the Lions into the lead, 21-19, with a layup at the 7:36 mark. Hillgartner quickly tied the score up at 21 after a pair of free throws. The score remained at 21 until Carr got a defensive rebound and Aubrey put in the three-point jump shot to extend Carlow's lead, 24-21, at 5:33. With Penn State Altoona later trailing by seven, an Emily Munson (New Hartford, CT/Northwestern Regional) layup cut the Lions' deficit to five, but the home team found itself down seven, 32-25, going into halftime.

Aubrey added a three-pointer as the Celtics increased the score to 35-25, a 10-point deficit for Penn State Altoona, to begin the third quarter. Although Burns got her second three-pointer, Carlow made two free throws to put the Lions down 37-28. Losing by nine, 41-32, McCracken made a jump shot to add two points to the Lions' score, and Sayles added two more from a layup. With 4:26 left in the third, Sayles made a jump shot that cut Carlow's lead to one, 43-42. At the 2:47 mark, Sayles put the Lions up by one, 46-45, from a jump shot. But Carlow responded with baskets from Clark and Carr, and the Celtics ended the quarter with a 49-46 lead.

Starting the fourth quarter, Green's jump shot added two to the Lions score, getting Penn State Altoona to within one yet again. Hillgartner's layup and jump shot boosted Carlow's lead to 53-48, and an Aubrey three-pointer made it 56-49 at 7:45. The Lions scored five straight points on a Bisignani layup and foul shot and a Burns basket, trimming their deficit to two, 56-54. But Carlow continued to pour on the points and increased their advantage to 64-54. Two free throws from Green made it an eight-point game, 64-56, but the Celtics went on to lead by as many as 12 points. Sayles made a layup at the 1:16 mark to put the Lions down by 10 points, 70-60, and that score held up until the final buzzer, as Carlow took the victory to end the night.

Next up, the Penn State Altoona women's basketball goes on the road this Saturday, January 13 to compete against AMCC opponent La Roche University at 2 p.m.