#2 HILBERT, #5 PENN ST. BEHREND TO CLASH IN AMCC TITLE GAME
#5 Penn St. Behrend is hitting their stride at the right time of the season as they recorded their second upset in as many games, as they defeated top-seeded La Roche College 57-56 in the AMCC women's basketball semifinals Saturday afternoon. In game two, #2 Hilbert College earned the 67-47 victory over #3 Pitt-Bradford to advance to the champioship game against Behrend on Sunday.
#5 Penn St. Behrend is hitting their stride at the right time of the season as they recorded their second upset in as many games, as they defeated top-seeded La Roche College 57-56 in the AMCC women's basketball semifinals Saturday afternoon. In game two, #2 Hilbert College earned the 67-47 victory over #3 Pitt-Bradford to advance to the champioship game against Behrend on Sunday.
#5 Penn St. Behrend 57, #1 La Roche 56
La Roche took the early lead with a Jenna Cole layup to start the game, but it was Behrend who controlled the scoreboard for the majority of the first half. Back-to-back buckets by Behrend's Ashley Seamon gave the Lions a lead they would hold onto throughout the entire first quarter. The Behrend lead swelled to 15 with 7:00 minutes to play in the second quarter. It didn't last for long, as an 11-0 Redhawk run capped by two Deleza Regan free throws brought La Roche within four with under two minutes to play in the half. Behrend held on to the 31-25 lead going into the locker rooms.
The game stayed tight throughout the third quarter as Behrend clung to the narrow lead. Seven straight points by Dasia Anderson mid-way through the third gave La Roche the 38-35 advantage before three layups by Behrend's Alanna Dibble gave the Lions the lead right back again. Behrend held on to a three point lead going into the final frame.
Both teams continued to battle throughout the fourth quarter, as the Lions stretched the lead to seven on more than one occasion. Dibble recorded four points in the final frame, coupled with two made free throws by Haslett in the final minute of the game, to help preserve the victory for the Lions. Cole nailed a three pointer for the Redhawks with one second left on the clock, but it wasn't enough as Behrend held on to the 57-56 victory.
Dibble led all scorers with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Seamon added 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
Cole and Anderson led La Roche with 18 points each, while Anderson also hauled in 16 boards.
#2 Hilbert 67, #3 Pitt-Bradford 47
Hilbert and Pitt-Bradford both came out hot, as the game was closely contested throughout the first quarter. Hilbert took the lead early on, as Ashley Repine scored two baskets to take the early 2-0 and 4-2 leads. However, the Panthers came firing back and two baskets and a free throw by guard Latifah Cain gave the Panthers a six point advantage. Baskets by Hilbert's Repine and Emily Gawlak to close out the quarter tied the game up at 18-all.
The second quarter mirrored the first, as the game stayed tight and the largest margin was a six point Panther lead, hightlighted by four points a piece from Shirleah Ragan and Cain.
Hilbert came out of the locker room fired up, as six straight points extended their lead to 10. The Hawks dominated the entire third quarter, as that lead grew to as many as 19 and they closed out the quarter with a 17 point advantage (56-39). Gawlak and Katelyn Proy combined for 13 of the Hawks' 20 points in the third.
Hilbert stayed strong throughout the fourth quarter and cruised to the 20 point victory over the Panthers.
Gawlak led the Hawks with 29 points, six rebounds and four assists. Repine earned the double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Proy added 10 points and nine rebounds. Shaelyn Snipes led the Panthers with 12 points.
#2 Hilbert will take on #5 Penn St. Behrend in the AMCC championship game on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. at La Roche College.