by Casey Burinksas

CRESSON, Pa. – Penn State Altoona senior Avana Sayles (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) became the women's basketball program's all-time leading scorer Wednesday night, when the Lions pulled out a hard-fought 61-58 victory over nearby Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference rival Mount Aloysius College at the ACW Center.

Entering Wednesday's contest needing just one point to set a new team scoring record, Sayles made a layup at 6:42 of the first quarter to earn sole possession of the Lions women's basketball program's individual career scoring record. Sayles surpassed the previous record of 1,503 points, which was set by former Lions player and current assistant coach Alexis Cannistraci (2017-22). By the conclusion of Wednesday's game, Sayles sat atop the team's all-time scoring list with 1,515 points.

Penn State Altoona (10-6, 5-2 AMCC) capitalized on turnovers to defeat their local rivals in the game, as the Lions forced Mount Aloysius (6-11, 4-4 AMCC) into committing 30 turnovers and scored 26 points off those takeaways.

Lanie Wilt (Altoona, PA/Altoona) scored a game-high 16 points for Penn State Altoona, while Sayles finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Jaidyn McCracken (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) had eight points and a team-best eight rebounds.

Haley Hicks (Wylie, TX/Wylie East) and Madison Rusnica (DuBois, PA/DuBois) also scored eight points apiece, with Hicks contributing five boards and Rusnica adding six rebounds and a game-high five steals.

Brionna Brown and Annalyn Isaacs each scored 12 points for Mount Aloysius.

Penn State Altoona opened the game with strong defensive plays to take early control in the first quarter against Mount Aloysius. The Lions struck first at the 6:42 mark on Sayles' layup that came off of a steal. Altoona continued to disrupt Mount Aloysius offensively, while Wilt found the basket on a jumper off a Sayles assist to make it 4-2. The Mounties briefly answered with a basket to tie the game at 4-4, but Altoona responded with a steady run fueled by defense and rebounding. Sayles scored again inside, Rusnica added two free throws, and Allyana Stephens (Johnstown, PA/Bishop McCort) knocked down a jumper following her own steal to push the Lions ahead 14-11. The Lions finished the quarter with a momentum-swinging three-pointer from Stephens off a Sayles assist with 27 seconds remaining, sending Penn State Altoona into the second quarter with a 17-15 lead.

In the second quarter, Mount Aloysius briefly grabbed the lead early on with a pair of three-pointers by Isaacs, but Penn State Altoona answered quickly behind strong plays and second-chance opportunities at the net. Halle Kuzminski (Warren, PA/Warren) converted a steal into a jump shot at the other end before a McCracken three-pointer gave the Lions a 22-21 edge at 3:51. The Mounties tied the game at 24-24 on a Molly Richards three-pointer later in the quarter, but Hicks scored a jumper off a Rusnica assist to give the Lions a 26-24 lead, while Hicks cleaned up with multiple offensive rebounds throughout the quarter to keep possessions alive. The Mounties ended the quarter on a Brown three-pointer to put themselves ahead, 27-26, by halftime.

Mount Aloysius opened the second half with a Mackenzie Barr layup, but a Wilt foul shot and layups from Rusnica and McCracken preceded Rusnica drilling a three-pointer at 8:15 to put Altoona ahead 34-29. Wilt connected on a three-pointer at 5:22 to push Altoona's lead to seven, 38-31, and a Hicks jump shot shortly after made it 40-31. The Lions got a 10-point lead at 4:05 when Sayles hit a jumper, but Mount Aloysius narrowed the gap to three points, 46-43, heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter tested Penn State Altoona's players as Mount Aloysius put up a late push, but the Lions ultimately held on for the win. McCracken finished a layup off a Wilt assist to help the Lions keep fighting, and Sayles knocked down a jumper to put her team ahead 52-43. Wilt's strong finish on a layup got Altoona to a 54-46 advantage, and Kuzminski continued to battle with multiple defensive rebounds and a jump shot that reestablished the Lions' 10-point lead, 56-46, with 5:17 to go. As the quarter progressed, the Mounties applied pressure and took advantage at the foul line to pull within four, which cut the Altoona lead to 60-58 with 43 seconds remaining. McCracken added a free throw to the Lions' total, making it a three-point difference, 61-58, with two seconds left. Altoona protected its lead in Mount Aloysius' final possession, sealing a 61-58 victory.

The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team is scheduled to continue its season this Saturday, January 25, at home against AMCC opponent Pitt-Bradford. Tipoff of that game is 1 p.m. in the Adler Arena.