Women Fight Hard, Fall to Mont Alto
The PSUGA Women's Basketball team fought hard but couldnt collect their second straight win as they fell to PSU-Mont Alto 61-53.
McKeesport, Pa. – After picking up their first win of the season on Tuesday, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Women’s Basketball Team (1-14, 1-7) were looking to make it two in a row against Penn State Mont Alto (5-11, 2-5) on Friday night. It was a hard fought game, but in the end Mont Alto got the best of PSUGA winning 63-51.
Both teams came out firing early on in this back and forth contest. Mont Alto would take the early scoring 12 of the first 16 points of the contest. However, PSUGA was able to fight back and made it a two-point game after one with Mont Alto leading 16-14. Jayla Ellis (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) and Alex Hall (Washington, D.C./Bell HS) each hit jumpers at the end of the quarter and were looking to lead their teams.
The second quarter saw more defense and some missed opportunities came back to bite PSUGA. They had several layup opportunities that they could not capitalize on and as a result, Mont Alto scored 13 in the quarter and went into halftime with a 29-23 lead. Hall led the way in the first half picking up six points, but the missed opportunities hurt them on the day.
When they are trailing at halftime this season, the women are 0-14 this season and they were looking to overcome the odds. The third quarter saw PSUGA get back on track offensively as Lexus Santiago (Pittsburgh, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) put up six points in the quarter leading her team to 16 points in the quarter as PSUGA crept a little closer trailing 45-38.
They would cut the Mont Alto lead to as little as seven with 1:33 remianing on the clock, but Mont Alto finished the game five for six at the free throw line to secure the 63-51 victory. Ellis found her shot scoring eight fourth quarter points, including a buzzer beater to end the game, but the lead had already become to much for PSUGA to handle.
Ellis continues her strong season leading the team with 16 points and collected a double-double with 10 rebounds on the day while Hall delivered 12 points to continue her strong second half. Andrea Burroughs (New Rochelle,Ny./New Rochelle) led the team with 15 rebounds on the day.
PSUGA has a quick turnaround when they take the court Saturday afternoon against Penn State York as the first half of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.