Women Take on Beaver in Battle for the Top
The PSUGA Women's Basketball team battles PSU-Beaver for a chance at the #1 seed on Wednesday at 6 p.m. After getting back in the win column on Monday, PSUGA looks to keep the momentum going as they head down the stretch.
McKeesport, PA. – After clinching a first round home playoff game on Monday, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Women’s Basketball team (13-9, 10-3) takes on Penn State Beaver (15-3, 9-1) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in a battle of the top two seeds in the Penn State University Athletic Conference West Division. With the number one and two seeds still up for grabs by either team, Wednesday’s game will go a long way to determining where the road to the Bryce Jordan Center will go through.
PSUGA clinched the first-round home playoff game after defeating PSU-Wilkes Barre on Monday 56-45. Wilkes Barre gave PSUGA a fight early on in the game and led 20-14 after one quarter of play. It was then that the PSUGA defense stepped up and held the opposition to just four second quarter points and PSUGA would gain its first advantage of the game before heading into the locker room ahead 25-24.
PSUGA put the game away for good in the third quarter when they put up 20 points and pulled ahead 45-36 with ten minutes to play. While the offense slowed a little in the fourth quarter, the defense kept bringing it holding Wilkes Barre to single digit points once again as the offense put up 11 points on their way to victory.
Tina Clybourn (Pittsburgh, PA./Brashear HS) led the way with 17 points while senior Andrea Burroughs (New Rochelle, NY./New Rochelle HS) picked up a double-double with a season high 15 points to go along with 10 rebounds. They were the only two to finish in double digits on the day as PSUGA got back on track after an 0-2 weekend.
Now that they are in the playoffs and have at least a first round home playoff game, Head Coach Chrissy French wants them to focus on the little things and keep improving. With three conference games left on the schedule, and four total, PSUGA still has a lot of work to do before the PSUAC tournament officially begins on Tuesday February 19th.
It all starts on Wednesday when they take on a PSU-Beaver team who has won back-to-back games and five of their last six contests. Their last time out, they survived a comeback attempt by PSU-Fayette to pick up a 68-63 win. Senior Diamond Thomas led the way with a double-double on the day finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
In 17 previous matchups, PSUGA has not had much success against Beaver with a record of just 2-15 in those matchups. Their last win against Beaver came on January 27th 2014 when they picked up an 86-75 win at home. PSUGA is trying to snap a nine game losing streak against PSU-Beaver and, with the top seed on the line, they will need to focus all their energy on those 40 minutes.
Tip-off for Monday’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be the first half of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader. You can watch the game live by going to bit.ly/PSUGAYT.