by Casey Burinskas

ALTOONA, Pa. – The No. 3 seed Penn State Altoona women's basketball team was at home to face off against No. 6 seed Hilbert College in the first round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament on Tuesday night, and the Lions dominated the Hawks, winning 63-32 to send themselves into the next round.

Penn State Altoona (19-7) jumped out to an 18-4 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, going up by as many as 34 points during the second half. The Lions held Hilbert (4-22) to a 28.0 percent field goal percentage, including limiting the Hawks to a 1-for-14 showing from three-point range. Penn State Altoona also had a big advantage in the turnover battle, forcing 17 giveaways by Hilbert while committing a season-low four itself.

With the win, the Lions advance to the semifinal round of the AMCC Tournament and will play No. 2 seed La Roche University at 3 p.m. this Friday, February 27. The semifinal and championship rounds of the tournament are hosted by top seed Penn State Behrend.

Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) put together her 16th double-double of the season for Penn State Altoona, leading all players in the game in points and rebounds with 19 and 14, respectively. Lanie Wilt (Altoona, PA/Altoona) added 10 points, three assists, and two steals.

Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) provided nine points and six rebounds, Ellie Irvin (Calvin, PA/Southern Huntingdon) scored six points with two assists, and Allyana Stephens (Johnstown, PA/Bishop McCort) brought six points and a game-high four assists off the bench.

Hilbert was led in scoring by Kayla Johnson, who finished with 10 points. Learsi Sabala added eight points and five rebounds for the Hawks.

Penn State Altoona came out with energy and defensive intensity to start the first quarter, setting the tone early. The Lions forced multiple early turnovers, including steals from Wilt, Stephens, and McCracken that helped spark their offense. Sayles led early, scoring Altoona's first points after grabbing her own offensive rebound to give the Lions a 2-0 edge. She stayed aggressive, putting up another jumper as Altoona built a 6-0 advantage. The Lions extended the lead to 8-0 when McCracken finished a layup off an assist from Stephens. Out of a timeout, Sayles added another layup, pushing the lead to double digits at 10-0 midway through the quarter. Multiple Lions contributed on the boards, while Haley Hicks (Wylie, TX/Wylie East) knocked down a pair of free throws to extend the lead. Stephens caught fire late in the quarter, drilling two three-pointers, the second one assisted by Irvin to push to 18-4. The Lions closed the quarter with that, heading into the second quarter with a strong head of steam.

Into the second, Irvin delivered a momentum play when she nailed a three-pointer, before a Wilt layup stretched the lead to 23-10. Sayles once again made her presence felt on both ends of the floor. Offensively, she knocked down a jumper off an assist from Stephens to maintain an 11-point advantage, 25-14. Hilbert tried to chip away with a few points, but Altoona responded with strong rebounding throughout the quarter and made stops to prevent a run. Despite a few turnovers in the period, the Lions stayed composed and carried a solid double-digit lead into halftime, firmly in control of the game by a score of 29-16. 

Penn State Altoona carried its momentum into the third quarter when McCracken opened the period with a strong three-point jumper, setting the scene as the Lions maintained their sizable lead. Halle Kuzminski (Warren, PA/Warren) also contributed, along with Sayles, who remained a steady presence with rebounds. Wilt later added three of her own off a feed from Stephens, making the score 41-20. Later, Irvin provided a spark, knocking down a three-pointer off an assist from Kuzminski. Defensively, the Lions stayed aggressive. Hicks secured rebounds and recorded a block, while Irvin and Wilt each came up with steals to disrupt Hilbert's movement. Although Hilbert managed a few baskets during brief stretches, Altoona quickly responded each time to maintain control. By the end of the third quarter, the Lions had punched their way even farther to end the third with a score of 49-21.

The Lions opened the period ahead 49-21 and immediately went back to work, with Wilt grabbing multiple offensive rebounds early in the quarter. After drawing a foul, Wilt split a pair at the free throw line to push the lead to 50-21. McCracken ignited the offense with a strong basket to make it 52-21, and moments later, Sayles put up a layup off a feed from Hicks, stretching the difference to 54-21. Even when Hilbert managed a pair of baskets after that, Altoona answered quickly. Sayles powered in another play to extend the lead to 56-25, continuing her dominant play. The Lions' defensive pressure never let up. Hicks came up with a steal that led to another scoring opportunity, and Addi Schirato (Salix, PA/Forest Hills) capitalized with a layup off a Hicks assist to make it 58-25. With the game firmly in hand, Altoona rotated its bench onto the court but kept pushing forward. Elizabeth Painter (Connellsville, PA/Connellsville) knocked down a three-pointer off a pass from Addy Nardolillo (Hinsdale, NH/Hinsdale) to push the margin to 61-27. Schirato added another layup off a Painter assist to extend the lead to 63-30, while the defense forced multiple stops to prevent any comeback attempt. Even in the final minutes, Altoona remained aggressive, with Schirato and Painter collecting offensive rebounds to extend possessions. The Lions ended with a dominant win of 63-32, heading into the next round of the AMCC playoffs, where they will face off against La Roche.