Greater Allegheny Women's Basketball Upended by Mont Alto, 62-60

Mont Alto, Pa. - Despite leading the majority of the second half, the Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team came up short, 62-60, through a Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up against Penn State Mont Alto.

Senior power forward Christina Floyd (Philadelphia, Pa./Sts. Neumann-Goretti) was the first to tally points in the game, dropping a jumper. Freshman guard Mandi Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) matched her with a jumper before she put down another jumper and two free-throws, Greater Allegheny ahead 8-2 just three minutes into the game.

Freshman guard Tori Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) knocked down a three-pointer as Floyd registered another trey, pushing GA up 14-6. Mont Alto inched back before freshman point guard Teona Cash (McKeesport, Pa./Woodland Hills) drained a jumper. Mont Alto took the lead with just nine minutes until half before Floyd hit a jumper, 18-17 GA.

Junior guard Nakayla Layne (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) added a jumper before Cash matched her. MA tied the game back at 22 before M. Johnston put up another two points. T. Johnston bucketed a trey before Floyd made a jump shot. Mont Alto cashed in on another jumper to tie the game at 29 and send the two teams into halftime.

M. Johnston was the first to answer for Greater Allegheny in the second half. T. Johnston ripped a set of three-pointers, separated by a M. Johnston jumper. T. Johnston put down a jumper with a little less than 14 minutes left in regulation to tie the game at 41.

Greater Allegheny and Mont Alto just continued to go back-and-forth as T. Johnston drained a three-pointer and a jumper. She elevated the team six points over Mont Alto with seven minutes to play with a set of three-pointers. Floyd and T. Johnston completed four free-throws combined to put GA up eight with five minutes of action.

Mont Alto came up huge with three treys to get within one of Greater Allegheny as the clock wound down below two. Floyd and Cash put down jumpers as free-throw points would ultimately put Mont Alto up and over Greater Allegheny as the clock expired, ending the Penn State University Athletic Conference bout at a 62-60 stand-off.

T. Johnston hammered down 27 points over Mont Alto, as she downed 53.8% (7-of-13) from the arc and 52.9% (9-of-17) from the floor. Floyd put down 50% (5-of-10) of her shots taken from the floor for 13 points and eight rebounds. M. Johnston added 12 points along with six boards and three assists. 

As a team, Greater Allegheny completed 75% (6-of-8) of their shots from the foul line and 35.4% (23-of-65) from the floor. GA out-rebounded Mont Alto 37-31 as the away team bucketed nine points off rebounds and nine points off second-chance.

Greater Allegheny (3-12, 1-5 PSUAC) goes back on the road for another Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up. Penn State York forfeited their match against the Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team, boosting Greater Allegheny to their fourth win on the season, second in the conference.

GA will see action on Wednesday, as the ladies travel to Penn State DuBois for a 6 p.m. tip-off.