Lions Overcome Slow Start to Defeat Harrisburg, 58-50
by Casey Burinskas
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team shook off a sluggish start to Monday night's game with non-conference opponent Penn State Harrisburg to defeat the visitors 58-50 in Adler Arena.
Penn State Altoona (6-2) managed just 20 points during a first half in which the Lions shot 25.7 percent from the field, and Penn State Harrisburg (2-8) led by eight at the intermission. But the Lions found more success on offense in the second half, outscoring Harrisburg 38-22 to come back and win their fourth straight game.
Penn State Altoona's Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) sniffed a triple-double, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds, and seven steals, tying for the fifth-most steals in a game in team history. Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood) contributed 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Madison Rusnica (DuBois, PA/DuBois) added nine points and a game-high five assists, while Lanie Wilt (Altoona, PA/Altoona) returned to the lineup to provide eight points and three assists.
Harrisburg's Mikayla Coleman led all scorers with 22 points, and Lauren Moffatt had 11 points and nine rebounds.
Altoona opened the first quarter with strong defense while getting out to a 6-0 advantage, but Penn State Harrisburg struck back to take the lead before the period's end. Altoona generated good plays but couldn't find consistent scoring, as several jumpers and early three-point attempts rimmed out. Still, the Lions stayed active on the boards, earning rebound opportunities through offensive plays by Sayles and Halle Kuzminski (Warren, PA/Warren). Sayles also provided a steal that helped slow Harrisburg's momentum. Late in the quarter, Abigail McAlexander (York, PA/Northeastern) knocked down a free throw to put the Lions up 7-6, but Harrisburg responded with another basket to go up 8-7. Altoona struggled with turnovers in the final minutes, allowing Harrisburg to maintain control and hold a slight edge heading into the second quarter with a score of 12-9.
In the second quarter, Sayles opened the Lions' scoring with a jumper off of a Rusnica assist, but Harrisburg knocked down a three at 7:42 to extend its lead to 19-11. The visitors made another three-pointer at 4:04 to keep Altoona in an eight-point hole, 22-14. After that, Addi Schirato (Salix, PA/Forest Hills) powered inside for a layup off an offensive rebound to keep Altoona within six, and the Lions' defensive intensity picked up with a Schirato block. McCracken added a jumper to make it 22-18, and Sayles scored a jump shot on an assist from Ellie Irvin (Calvin, PA/Southern Huntingdon) in the last seconds of the quarter. But Harrisburg made two three-pointers late in the period and took a 28-20 lead into halftime.
Altoona started the third quarter using early scoring from McCracken and Sayles to chip into Penn State Harrisburg's lead. But Harrisburg quickly answered with a free throw and a layup to continue their lead, making it 35-24. The Lions continued to battle on both ends, with Sayles grabbing defensive rebounds to limit Harrisburg's second chances. On the offensive end, Altoona found momentum behind McCracken, who knocked down a big three-pointer to bring the Lions within striking distance at 35-29. Altoona forced several turnovers during the quarter, highlighted by steals from Sayles and Rusnica. Late in the quarter, free throws from Rusnica and Sayles helped bring Altoona back to within three, 39-36, by the conclusion of the period.
Heading into the fourth, Altoona came in ready to finish on top, starting with Irvin putting up a three-pointer to tie the score at 39-39 and McCracken following in her footsteps with another three to put the Lions in the lead, 42-39, at 9:28. Just over a minute later, McCracken sank another three-pointer to give the Lions a little more cushion heading down to the final minutes. Five points from Sayles kept Altoona in the lead, 50-46, as Harrisburg attempted to push back. Layups from McCracken, Sayles, and Rusnica helped lead the final points for the Lions, and late free throws from McCracken and Wilt sealed the 58-50 comeback win for Altoona.
Penn State Altoona won the turnover battle by a strong margin, forcing 23 Harrisburg giveaways while committing 11 themselves.
Next, the women's basketball team will face Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Penn State Behrend on Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m. at home.
