Women’s Basketball Falls to No. 24 Gettysburg in Home Opener
by Casey Burinskas
ALTOONA, Pa. – Penn State Altoona women's basketball hosted its home opener versus a nationally-ranked opponent, No. 24 Gettysburg College, on Tuesday night, when the visiting Bullets handed the Lions a 72-45 loss in Adler Arena.
Penn State Altoona (1-1) battled in the first half and stayed within striking distance, going into halftime facing a 36-25 deficit. But Gettysburg (2-1) posted a 20-7 scoring advantage in the third quarter to break the game open, and the Bullets went on to defeat the Lions by a comfortable margin.
Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) finished with a team-high 14 points for Penn State Altoona to go along with six rebounds, three steals, and a block, while Lanie Wilt (Altoona, PA/Altoona) added 10 points, two steals, one block, and a game-best four assists. Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) chipped in five points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Gettysburg's Kimberly Hopkins led all scorers with 20 points, and Adeline Standish contributed 10 points for the Bullets.
Gettysburg opened the game by scoring the first eight points before a jumper from Addi Schirato (Salix, PA/Forest Hills), coming from Haley Hicks (Wylie, TX/Wylie East) at 7:21, finally got Altoona on the board. Gettysburg continued their strong offensive start, extending the lead to 12-2 and forcing a Lions timeout. Out of the timeout, Wilt converted a layup, and Sayles added a jumper to help the Lions settle in. McCracken knocked down a three-pointer at the 4:50 mark, assisted by Wilt, to cut the Gettysburg lead to 14-9. After another Sayles shot brought the Lions within five, Gettysburg responded with a quick 6-0 run to make it 22-11. Wilt drained a three with under a minute left in the quarter, giving the Lions a late boost, but Gettysburg's free throws in the final seconds kept the margin at nine heading into the second period.
After trailing 23-14 entering the period, the Lions struck first behind a jumper from Sayles to make it 23-16. Sayles stayed aggressive, scoring Altoona's first six points of the quarter while also adding a block on defense to help swing momentum in favor of the Lions. The Lions trimmed the gap to five at 23-18 following another Sayles jumper midway through the frame. Gettysburg responded with a short run, stretching the lead to double digits at 29-18. Sayles connected again from mid-range to stop the run, assisted by Wilt. A timeout by Penn State Altoona at 4:33 attempted to regroup the team, but Gettysburg's depth continued to keep the advantage. Wilt provided a spark out of the timeout, scoring on a jumper and adding a free throw to make it 33-23 with just over three minutes left. Hicks later added a jumper off an assist from McCracken in the closing seconds, keeping the Lions within striking distance. Despite the efforts, the Lions were down at the half by a score of 36-25.
The third quarter opened with both teams making full substitutions, and Gettysburg's fresh lineup immediately made an impact. Penn State Altoona called an early timeout down 43-25, but Gettysburg continued to push the pace, thriving on turnovers and hitting another three to make it 48-25 midway through the quarter. The Lions worked hard to generate offense through Wilt, who sank two free throws at the 4:03 mark. Schirato chipped in from the line earlier in the period, and Sayles provided a highlight with a strong layup off an assist from Allyana Stephens (Johnstown, PA/Bishop McCort) to cut the lead to 52-30. Stephens also made key defensive plays, including a steal that led directly to Sayles' basket. Defensively, Altoona showed persistence, forcing several Gettysburg turnovers, including steals from Sayles and Hicks. But Gettysburg's defense proved too strong and left Altoona trailing by 24 going into the fourth with a score of 56-32
Into the fourth, Wilt and McCracken provided early energy on the court, though Altoona struggled to complete the second-chance opportunities. Gettysburg maintained its rhythm on offense, though Ellie Irvin (Calvin, PA/Southern Huntingdon) broke the Lions' scoring drought with a jumper at 6:34, followed shortly by a basket from Sayles to keep Altoona's offense moving. Skylar McCall (Cleveland Heights, OH/Cleveland Heights) gave Altoona a spark late, knocking down a three-pointer with just over four minutes to play off an assist from Wilt. The Lions continued to fight on, with Halle Kuzminski (Warren, PA/Warren) and Hannah Glunt (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) converting from the free throw line in the final minutes. Addy Nardolillo (Hinsdale, NH/Hinsdale) capped the game with a jumper in the closing seconds, assisted by Kuzminski. Despite the points put up, Altoona failed to get past the nationally-ranked No. 24 Gettysburg team, falling by a final score of 72-45.
Right around the corner, Penn State Altoona women's basketball is back at home this Thursday, November 13, when the Lions will face off against non-conference foe Juniata College. Tipoff in Adler Arena is set for 7 p.m.
