GA Women's Basketball Suffer Heartbreaker on the Road at Beaver, 77-73
Monaca, Pa. - In their final regular season game of the 2014-15 season, the Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team battled hard through a back-and-forth game to fall in a Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up over Penn State Beaver, 77-73.
Monaca, Pa. - In their final regular season game of the 2014-15 season, the Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team battled hard through a back-and-forth game to fall in a Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up over Penn State Beaver, 77-73.
Freshman guard Teona Cash (McKeesport, Pa./Woodland Hills) was the first to answer in the contest with a completed jumper for Greater Allegheny. Cash added another jumper before freshman guard Mandi Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) hammered down a three-pointer, GA ahead 7-3. Senior power forward Christina Floyd (Philadelphia, Pa./Sts. Neumann-Goretti) denoted a pair of jumpers as senior guard Nakayla Layne (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) banked a jumper. Layne added a free-throw to bring the game to 14-10 GA with just ten minutes to play until halftime.
Freshman guard Tori Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) knocked down a trey in the 11th minute as Beaver made their way back. Floyd slashed a free-throw before Beaver over-powered Greater Allegheny, 20-18. Cash evened the score at 20 with a completed jumper and a free throw before M. Johnston matched her with a jumper and one. M. Johnston dropped a three-pointer as Beaver continued to score.
Floyd added two points from the foul line as T. Johnston drained a three to bring the score to 32-30. Cash put down a foul shot as T. Johnston put up the final points of the first-half. GA ahead of Beaver, 35-32.
Beaver drove the beginning of the second-half before senior forward Kimberly Hall (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport Area) downed a jumper a keep Greater Allegheny's lead alive 37-36. M. Johnston added four points from the free-throw line as freshman guard Diamond Bailey (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) drained a jumper, GA leading Beaver 45-38. Hall and Layne deposited a jumper apiece to keep GA ahead. Cash noted a jumper before T. Johnston hammered down a three-pointer, GA nine points superior than Beaver.
T. Johnston marked another three as Layne went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. M. Johnston drained a trey herself before T. Johnston dominated a three-pointer, 67-61 GA with just five to play until regulation. Floyd added a free-throw as Beaver made their way back, winding the game down into the final two minutes of action.
M. Johnston and Cash added points from the foul line as T. Johnston knocked down a three-pointer to keep Greater Allegheny close with PSUAC rival, Beaver, 73-75 Beaver with juts 17 seconds left. Beaver managed two free-throws and held GA to zero, escalating in a Beaver 77-73 victory.
T. Johnston dropped 20 points with five rebounds, an assist and a steal. M. Johnston added 85.7% (6-for-7) from the free-throw line as she put down 17 points, five assists, three boards and two steals. Cash contributed 13 points and nine rebounds, six assists and three steals toward Greater Allegheny's effort.
As a team, Greater Allegheny finished 58.1% (18-of-31) from the foul line along with 37.7% (23-of-61) from the floor. The ladies largest lead of the game came just over seven minutes into the second-half with nine.
The women currently sit in seventh place at the conclusion of their game. Play-off contention soon-to-come to the Greater Allegheny website.