by Casey Burinskas

ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team had its four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions lost 70-64 to Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Penn State Behrend in the Adler Arena.

Penn State Altoona (6-3, 1-1 AMCC) battled through a tightly contested game keep things close all afternoon. Behrend (6-4, 3-1 AMCC) led by as many as 13 points midway through the second half, and despite a fourth-quarter push from the Lions, the visitors held on for a six-point win.

Lanie Wilt (Altoona, PA/Altoona) led the Lions in scoring with 21 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) had her fifth double-double of the season for Penn State Altoona with 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds while adding four steals and three blocks.

Haley Hicks (Wylie, TX/Wylie East) brought nine points and four rebounds off the bench, and Madison Rusnica (DuBois, PA/DuBois) contributed seven points, four assists, and three steals. Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) chipped in five points, five boards, and four assists.

Behrend's Alaina Fabin led all scorers with 28 points, and Lilly Palladino recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds for the visitors.

The opening quarter between Penn State Altoona and Penn State Behrend unfolded as a defensive battle, with both teams feeling out the pace early. Wilt opened the scoring, and after Behrend went up 7-2, McCracken connected from beyond the arc to put the Lions within two, 7-5. Behrend answered with back-to-back baskets to gain a 12-7 advantage, but Altoona stayed within striking distance through rebounding and second-chance opportunities. Points from Hicks tied the game at 12-12 later in the quarter, and Sayles knocked down a pair of jump shots to put the Lions up, 16-14. In the final seconds, Behrend converted a three-pointer to move in front, and the Lions went into the second quarter trailing by 17-16.

Altoona tried to build momentum in the second quarter, answering from behind as Rusnica finished a layup off an assist from Wilt to make it 21-18. As the quarter progressed, Altoona began to find more consistency on offense. Sayles made a jumper with 6:51 remaining to keep the gap at three, 23-20. Altoona fell behind by nine before Wilt broke Behrend's scoring run with a layup and a free throw. Closing the gap even further, Rusnica sank a layup. Despite that, Altoona wasn't able to make any more offensive plays, which led Behrend to drive ahead 33-25 going into the half.

Penn State Altoona opened the third quarter looking to chip away at Penn State Behrend's lead, getting on the board quickly when Wilt put up a jumper off an assist from Rusnica to make it 33-27. Halle Kuzminski (Warren, PA/Warren) followed with an offensive rebound and a jumper to cut the margin to 33-29, as the Lions showed strong energy inside early in the period. Rusnica continued to attack offensively, scoring on her own miss to make it 40-32 midway through the quarter. Altoona stayed aggressive despite Behrend answering with shooting, and Allyana Stephens (Johnstown, PA/Bishop McCort) provided a spark by knocking down a three-pointer at the 4:03 mark, trimming the deficit to 42-35. Hicks added to the momentum with a jumper off a Stephens assist to pull the Lions within 44-37. Late in the quarter, Sayles scored on a jumper, then Wilt converted a three-point play to bring Altoona within 47-42. Abigail McAlexander (York, PA/Northeastern) and Wilt capped the Lions' scoring in the final seconds, as Penn State Altoona continued to battle offensively, but Altoona headed into the final period down by a score of 57-47.

The Lions entered the fourth quarter looking to gain the lead, opening their scoring with McCracken making a layup. Wilt continued the train with a three-pointer assisted by Kuzminski. A Wilt layup made it 61-54, but Behrend scored the next five points to increase its lead to 66-54 with 3:56 remaining. With a steal from McCracken down at the 3:02 minute mark, Sayles was able to find her way to the basket to make a layup, coming within 10 of Behrend, 66-56. Wilt made another layup and hit on two free throws, while Sayles scored two more buckets, as the Lions got back to within four points, 68-64, with 43 seconds to play. But Behrend responded with two foul shots, pulling ahead just enough to keep Altoona out of their reach with a final score of 70-64.

Penn State Altoona women's basketball returns to non-conference play next Saturday, December 20, when the Lions will travel to play Waynesburg University at 1 p.m.