GREENSBURG, PA- The fourth seeded University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg women's basketball team secured a spot in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference semifinals with a 71-53 victory over fifth seeded Penn State Behrend on Tuesday night inside Chambers Hall.
Pitt-Greensburg advances to Friday's Semifinal contest, where they will face the top seed and host La Roche at 6 pm.
Sidney McCully and Maddie Sitler led a balanced scoring attack for the Bobcats with 16 each. Nadege Durand corralled a game best 18 rebounds and added 14 points. Maddy Coddington was 3-for-5 from three-point land on her way to 11 points on the night.
The Lions opened the contest by getting out to a 6-3 lead less than a minute and a half in. Pitt-Greensburg scored the next six points to take their first lead of the game. The teams were all square at 11 at the half way point of the first frame. Penn State Behrend broke the tie with an 8-0 run, but the Bobcats answered by holding the Lions scoreless for the final 2:34 of the first quarter while netting four points to make the score 19-15 after one quarter.
After a back and forth start to the second quarter, UPG took control with a 14-0 run that began at the 5:10 mark and lasted nearly four and a half minutes to obtain a 12-point lead (35-23). Pitt-Greensburg forced three Lion turnovers during the spurt. Coddington sank both of her three-point attempts for a team high six points during the run.
Pitt-Greensburg defense did not allow a Penn St. Behrend three-pointer in the second quarter, as the Lions went 0-6 from deep. The Blue and Gold maintained a 35-26 advantage at halftime.
The Bobcats stayed ahead for the entirety of the second half. A 9-2 spurt got the edge up to 11 at the 2:43 mark of the third quarter. Pitt-Greensburg closed the game out on an 8-1 run, and kept Penn State Behrend to 1-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc in their final 12 attempts to clinch the semifinal spot. The largest lead of the game, 19 points, came on a Sitler jumper with 12 seconds left.
The Bobcats outrebounded the Lions 47-37, the major difference coming on the offensive end where UPG pulled down 23 boards compared to 10 by Penn State Behrend.
UPG hoisted 72 shots on the night versus 51 attempts by Penn State Behrend.
Sitler and Durand each dished out four assists to lead the team, who had 16 on their 26 made field goals.
Pitt-Greensburg will take on the top seeded La Roche University Redhawks on Friday in the semifinals of the AMCC Tournament. Tip-off is slated for 6 pm at La Roche.
