Women’s Basketball Cruises to 64-39 Win in AMCC Opener
by Casey Burinskas
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team started its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference schedule with a commanding win on Wednesday night, when the Lions sailed past league opponent Pitt-Greensburg, 64-39, in the Adler Arena.
Penn State Altoona's (5-2, 1-0 AMCC) victory was powered by a defensive performance that forced 21 Pitt-Greensburg (0-6, 0-1 AMCC) turnovers and limited the visitors to a 33.3 percent field goal percentage. The Lions held the Bobcats to single digit points in two of the game's four quarters.
Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) notched her fourth double-double of the season for Penn State Altoona, posting game highs with 22 points and 14 rebounds while blocking a pair of shots. Madison Rusnica (DuBois, PA/DuBois) added 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals, and Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) had 10 points, eight boards, and three steals.
Abigail McAlexander (York, PA/Northeastern) provided eight points off the bench, and Halle Kuzminski (Warren, PA/Warren) chipped in six rebounds.
Pitt-Greensburg's Kaylee Charles led her team in points and rebounds with 16 and seven, respectively, while Autumn Matthews had 14 points and six boards for the Bobcats.
The first quarter had a slow offensive start for both teams, with early missed shots and turnovers. Pitt-Greensburg created the first points on a Ca'Mari Walden layup, while Altoona answered with baskets from Rusnica and Sayles and a strong layup by McAlexander to later tie the game, 6-6. Altoona's rebounding produced several second-chance shots, though many attempts rimmed out. Baskets from Sayles and McAlexander got the Lions in front late in the quarter, and thanks to active defense and hustle on the glass, Altoona held a slim advantage, 12-11, at the end of the period.
The second quarter began with both teams struggling to find a rhythm, trading missed opportunities on both ends. Altoona broke through when Sayles knocked down a jumper, giving the Lions their first bit of momentum in the quarter. A few possessions later, Rusnica added points from the three-point line, helping Altoona increase its lead to 19-12. The Bobcats closed the gap to one point, 19-18, midway through the quarter, but the Lions' defense started to take over, forcing several turnovers that led directly to offense. Kuzminski took advantage with a layup, keeping the pressure on Greensburg. From there, Altoona added a Rusnica foul shot and a Sayles jumper to its point total, as the Lions closed the quarter with a 26-18 lead heading into halftime.
The third quarter opened with a flurry of scoring by Altoona, as Sayles and McCracken connected on jump shots, Rusnica buried a three, Kuzminski hit two free throws, and McAlexander knocked down a jumper to make it 37-21 by the 6:05 mark. The Lions gained even more momentum when Rusnica struck again with a three-pointer 2:14 to make it 40-23. Altoona closed the quarter ahead, 43-26, after getting a Sayles layup and an Addi Schirato (Salix, PA/Forest Hills) foul shot.
Penn State Altoona took control early in the fourth, turning defense into offense and steadily building their lead. After a slow start with turnovers on both sides, the Lions got going when Rusnica hit a jumper, followed by two makes from Sayles that pushed the score to 49-28. Altoona kept the momentum as McCracken made a trio of baskets, along with scores from Sayles and McAlexander, stretching the lead to 59-36. Greensburg hit a few shots, including a three, but Altoona's offense remained in rhythm. Strong defensive pressure created steals for McCracken and Kuzminski, leading to points for the Lions. Down the stretch, Sayles knocked down two free throws and Ellie Irvin (Calvin, PA/Southern Huntingdon) capped the night with a three in the final seconds, completing a dominant finish and an AMCC win with a final score of 64-39.
Next, Penn State Altoona women's basketball will be back on the court at home on Monday, December 8, hosting non-conference opponent Penn State Harrisburg in the Adler Arena at 6 p.m.
