GREENSBURG, Pa: The Pitt-Greensburg women's basketball team led for the entirety of Monday's match up with visiting Westminster. But, they'd need to hold off a fourth quarter charge by the Titans to earn their second straight victory over President's Athletic Conference competition.
The 51-46 win is the Bobcats second straight and improves them to 2-4 on the season as Westminster falls to 0-4.
Pitt-Greensburg got the game started on an 11-2 run spanning the first six minutes of the first quarter. Westminster would answer with an 8-0 run and a pair of free-throws with six second remaining would bring the game within one at 11-10 before the break.
Eight straight points by
Amanda Estok (Monroeville, PA, Gateway) at the mid-way point of the second would help grow the Bobcat lead to six.
Lyndy Baer (Hollsopple, PA, Conemaugh Township) would help out with four points down the stretch, two coming from the foul line with just seconds remaining in the half to give UPG an eight point, 27-19 advantage.
The Bobcats would hold the Titans at bay over the third, growing the lead to 10 on three separate occasions. The latter coming on a pair of free throws from
Casey Hamilton (Greensburg, PA, Hempfield), capping the quarter's scoring at 40-30 in favor of UPG.
After a Baer three-pointer with 3:59 remaining in the game gave them a 46-35 lead, it seemed the Bobcats would cruise to victory, but a rally by Westminster would make things interesting. The Titans would trim the deficit to two, 46-44 with 46 seconds remaining, but the Bobcats would convert 5-6 free-throws down the stretch to hold them off. A 5-2 run to end the game would give Pitt-Greensburg the 51-46 final.
Baer would lead UPG with 12 points, but 10 point performances by
Chianti Sivek (Finleyville, PA, Ringgold) and Hamilton would help the cause. Hamilton would fall one rebound short of a double-double but led both teams with a game-high nine boards.
Up next for the Bobcats is the opening of conference play. Their Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference slate tips off with a 3:00pm Saturday contest in Chambers Hall against the D'Youville College Spartans.
