PENN STATE BEHREND, ALTOONA TO CLASH IN AMCC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TITLE GAME
#1 Penn State Behrend and #3 Penn State Altoona recorded semifinal victories on Friday afternoon to advance to the AMCC women's basketball championship game.
The Behrend Lions pulled away in the second half after a close early battle. The game was competitive early, as Alfred State led 17-10 after the first quarter, and held on to a slim 29-27 at the half. Behrend began to take control in the second half, as the Lions picked it up on defense and maintained a better scoring balance, ultimately outscoring Alfred State down the stretch to secure the win.
Behrend's Lilly Palladino led all scorers with 22 points, adding 11 rebounds in a strong all-around performance. Alaina Fabin posted a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Morgan Altavilla added 12 points and 6 rebounds.
Jordan Niles paced the Pioneers with 12 points and seven rebounds while Emeline Barton registered 11 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double.
#3 Penn State Altoona knocked off #2 La Roche University, 70-57, in the second game of the women's semifinals.
Penn State Altoona used a dominant second half to pull away after a tightly contested opening 20 minutes. La Roche trailed just 31-29 at halftime, but the Lions erupted for 21 points in the third quarter while holding the Redhawks to 14 to gain control. Altoona followed that with an 18-point fourth quarter, shooting 50 percent from the floor over the final 10 minutes to secure the win.
Jaidyn McCracken led the charge for the Altoona Lions with 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, and added 12 rebounds for a double-double. Freshman guard Lanie Wilt poured in 19 points and grabbed eight boards, while junior forward Avana Sayles contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds. The Lions dominated the glass, outrebounding La Roche 50-34, including a 36-23 edge on the defensive boards, and added 13 second-chance points.
La Roche was paced by sophomore guard J’La Kizart and senior guard Jazmine Dunn, who each scored 14 points. Nautica Burwell added 13 and Catherine Kelly chipped in 10. The Redhawks scored 30 points in the paint and forced 14 turnovers, converting them into 18 points, but shot just 33.8 percent from the field and 20 percent from three-point range.
After keeping things close in the first half, La Roche couldn’t match Altoona’s efficiency and rebounding advantage in the final 20 minutes, as the Lions advanced with the 13-point victory.
Top seed Penn state Behrend and #3 Penn State Altoona will square off on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for the AMCC Championship game at the Penn State Behrend Junker Center.