Another Overtime Setback for Greater Allegheny Women's Basketball

McKeesport, Pa. - For the second night in a row, the Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team sent regulation play into extra minutes, only falling short. GA hosted Penn State Fayette on Tuesday night for a Penn State University Athletic Conference tip-off; GA falling 89-88.

Fayette jumped out to a quick 11-4 lead less than three minutes into the game. Junior power forward Christina Floyd (Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Neumann-Goretti) began the comeback as the force made a lay-up. Senior point guard Taylor Fulton (Duquesne, Pa./West Mifflin) then went on a run and dropped eight points in a span of two minutes. Fulton took the lead from Fayette as freshman guard Shacobia Horn (Miami, Fla./Miami Southridge) checked in for five more toward the GA tally.

Greater Allegheny and Fayette battled back-and-forth as both teams dropped buckets to inflate both sides of the scoreboard. Freshman power forward Aaquila Youngblood (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) and Floyd dropped 17 points combined over the next five minutes to swell Greater Allegheny to a 36-27 lead. Consecutive scoring opportunities earned assisted to Fayette's comeback in the last few minutes before halftime. Freshman guard Tra-Esha Carswell (Homestead, Pa./Steel Valley), Floyd and Horn added weight to GA's side of the tally. Fouls would contribute to Fayette's gain in the last thirty seconds of action, sending Greater Allegheny into the next twenty minutes of play trailing, 46-44.

Floyd and Fulton achieved eight points to re-gain the lead to open up the second half. Freshman power forward Tenisha Gibson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) posted Greater Allegheny points to assist the squad as the game continued to go back-and-forth, 56-54 Fayette. Six GA Lions combined their efforts in the final minutes of play to make great competition. Both sides of the ball had their eye on the prize as both teams stepped up the effort.

Gibson hammered down two clutch free-throws to have the clock wind down to zero, making the end of regulation a dramatic finish, tieing the game at 79. With both sides amped up, they answered each other when each team scored. Five minutes ran short as Horn and Floyd were the only Lions to add to the total. Fayette narrowly found themselves on the winning side of the ball, 89-88.

Floyd stood as an exceptional student-athlete, as the all-star established 34 points and 23 rebounds during all 45 minutes of action. She completed 63.6% (14-of-22) shots taken from the floor alongside 4-of-6 free-throws attempted. Fulton dished out 15 assists along with her 17 points noted. Horn played a good game, as the guard 15 points and seven rebounds.

As a team, the women went 63.0% (17-for-27) from the free-throw line. The team also bucketed more field goal attempts than Fayette, as GA completed 42.5% (34-of-80) shots from the floor. Greater Allegheny out-rebounded Fayette, 59-45, along with achieving 44 points in the paint.

Greater Allegheny look ahead to Friday, as the ladies are set to travel with the men to Penn State Worthington-Scranton for another PSUAC conference match-up. Women head for tip-off at 6 p.m.