Behrend Lions Fall to UPG in Key AMCC Contest, 61-60
The
Behrend Lions (9-10, 7-5) lost a well played home game 61-60 to the Pitt-Greensburg
Bobcats (15-5, 9-3) on Saturday night in the Junker Center in front of 238 fans.
The blue and white came out with intensity and built a 11-2 lead in the opening minutes of play. Pitt-Greensburg would respond, cutting the lead to two at the 7:38 mark with Behrend up 15-13. The action was back and forth until the horn when Behrend led 30-26 at the break.
Julia Andrus (Corry/Corry)
had a big first half with ten points and three rebounds. Natalie Engel
(McDonald/Fort Cherry) added six points on two three-point buckets while Kayla O'Connor (Erie/Seneca)
hauled down five first-half boards.
Pitt-Greensburg came out and built a lead of its own in the second half.
The Bobcats got double-digit scoring from three players as Kelsey Wilcox
scored 17, while Nicole Reiser and Amanda Sheaffer each had 13 points.
The Bobcats would lead by nine with just over six minutes to play.
The Behrend Lions came roaring back behind inspired play from Julia Andrus.
The senior scored five straight points to cut the lead to two points with
2:24 to play. Pitt-Greensburg clung to a one-point lead with under a
minute to play and held on for the victory as the blue and white could not
get a few late looks to fall.
Andrus finished with 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Meagan Bielanin (Erie/Mercyhurst
Prep) added ten points and seven rebounds. Engel finished with nine
points and four assists, while
Kayla McLaughlin (Aliquippa/Hopewell) grabbed six boards and dished out six
assists.
Next up for the blue and white will
be a pair of AMCC road games as they travel to Hamburg, NY, for a February
6, game against the Hilbert Hawks (0-18, 0-11). Then on February 9, the blue
and white will play at Penn State Altoona (8-9, 6-5) before heading back to the Junker
Center for three straight home contests.