AMCC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TIPS OFF WEDNESDAY NIGHT; LA ROCHE EARNS TOP SEED

With a 15-3 conference record, the La Roche College women's basketball team won the tiebreaker against Hilbert College, which had an identical record in AMCC play, to earn the regular season title and hosting rights for the 2019 AMCC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. First round games open up on Wednesday, with #3 Pitt-Bradford hosting #6 Mount Aloysius College, and #4 Penn St. Altoona hosting #5 Penn St. Behrend. #1 La Roche and #2 Hilbert College both receive first round byes.

La Roche (16-8, 15-3 AMCC) enters the AMCC tournament looking to reclaim the championship title. The Redhawks won seven straight titles from 2011-2017 before Hilbert took over the top spot last year. Junior forward Jenna Cole leads the conference with 20.2 points per game, while also leading the Redhawks with 7.1 rebounds per game. Freshman forward Dasja Anderson and freshman guard Danajah Sanders also average double figures with 11.7 and 11.0 points per game, respectively. Sophomore guard Shaundrea Butler chips in with 6.2 assists per game.

Defending champion Hilbert (20-5, 15-3 AMCC) will be the #2 seed and has their sights set on claiming back-to-back conference titles. Junior guard Taylor Corts leads the Hawks with 14.6 points per game. Juniors Ashley Repine (14.5 ppg) and Emily Gawlak (13.1 ppg) also add double figure scoring, while Repine grabs 8.2 rebounds per game. Senior Katelyn Proy leads the team with 8.6 rebounds per game, while also chipping in with 11.4 points per game.

Pitt-Bradford (11-12, 10-8 AMCC) has earned the #3 seed and is led by senior forward Jennifer Isenberg with 14.6 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Shaelyn Snipes contributes 14.1 points per game while freshman Latifah Cain dishes out 4.0 assists per game.

#4 Penn St. Altoona (12-12, 10-8) is back in the AMCC playoffs for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Lady Lion guard/forward Alexis Cannistraci has had a solid sophomore campaign as she leads the team and ranks second in the conference in both points and rebounds, with 17.5 and 9.8, respectively. Junior guard Finnley Christine's 15.6 points per game is fifth-best in the league, while her 34.5 three point percentage is fourth. Junior guard/forward Kaley Strittmatter rounds out the double figure scoring with 10.0 points per game.

Entering the tournament as the #5 seed is Penn St. Behrend (10-15, 8-10 AMCC). Leading the Lions offensively are a pair of freshman, guard Caitlin Carnuche and forward Alanna Dibble. Carnuche averages 10.2 points per game, while Dibble scores 10.0 points and pulls down 8.0 rebounds per game. 

Rounding out the field of six is Mount Aloysius (8-17, 8-10) as the #6 seed. Senior guard Breana Kendrick leads the Mounties and ranks third in the conference with 16.6 points per game, while also leading the team with 6.5 rebounds per game. Junior guard Lea Sammarco is next on the team with 11.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Sammarco is also tops in the league with a 35.8 three-point shooting percentage, draining an AMCC-best 68 balls from long range this season. 

AMCC TOURNAMENT BRACKET

First Round: Wednesday, February 20
#6 Mount Aloysius at #3 Pitt-Bradford, 7pm
#5 PS-Behrend at #4 PS-Altoona, 7pm
Byes: #1 La Roche and #2 Hilbert

Championship Round at #1 La Roche

Semifinals: Saturday, February 23
12pm:  #1 La Roche v. winner of 5v4
2pm:  #2 Hilbert  v. winner of 6v3

Finals: Sunday, February 24 - 12pm