Hard-Work Brings GA Women's Basketball 91-86 Halt over Brandywine

Media, Pa. - Bringing a 17-point deficit to just five, the Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team fell to Penn State Brandywine in their final contest of the 2015-16 season.

Freshman forward Tiajuanna Burke (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) and freshman forward Andrea Burroughs (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) put up the first points for GA with free-throws as Brandywine swelled to 14-3 within the first six minutes of action. Burke and Burroughs teamed up for points in the paint before sophomore guard Tori Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) downed a jumper to send the team teams into the second quarter with Brandywine out in front, 22-11.

Burroughs laid on a layup before Burke slashed two from the foul line. T. Johnston hammered a three-pointer as sophomore guard Mandi Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) mirrored her with a good trey, 34-23 BW. Burroughs connected on another layup before M. Johnston tacked on a free-throw point. Junior guard Jess Manfredi (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Serra Catholic) cut the home team lead to seven with three points outside the arc with less than three minutes remaining in the first half. 

T. Johnston bucketed four straight points for Greater Allegheny from the foul line as Manfredi and junior guard Tra-Esha Carswell (Homestead, Pa./Steel Valley) rode out the first half with free-throws, Brandywine in the lead just a narrow 37-34.

T. Johnston was the first to score for Greater Allegheny in the second half with a good three-pointer before Carswell and Manfredi put down jumpers. Brandywine found themselves to a huge 56-40 lead before M. Johnston put down a pair of free-throws. Burke and M. Johnston added layups before Manfredi put down a free-throws, 60-48 BW heading into the final quarter of action.

Burke went out for five points as T. Johnston cut the Brandywine lead to ten with a made three-pointer. Manfredi put down points in the paint before Carswell denoted a pair of jumpers. T. Johnton added a layup before Burke bucketed eight-straight points to bring the game within just a minute of action. Carswell drained a jumper as T. Johnston muscled for a three-pointer and a jumper. Burroughs contributed a layup as Burke took five more points to the hoop as the game finished in a 91-86 Brandywine decision.

Burke put up a double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds with an assists and a steal. Burroughs matched her with a double-double, compiling 11 points and ten rebounds with two steals and two blocks. T. Johnston came off-the-bench for 22 points, four boards, three assists and a steal.

As a team, Greater Allegheny out-rebounded Brandywine 50-34 while adding 68.8% (22-of-32) of their shots from the foul line, 46% (29-of-63) of their shots from the floor and 46.2% (6-of-13) from the arc. The ladies capitalized on 40 points in the paint, 19 points off second-chance and 20 points off of 13 Brandywine turnovers.

The women finish the season with an overall record of 9-15 and 5-9 in the Penn State University Athletic Conference.

M. Johnston leads the PSUAC in points per game with 20.8 as she sits in fourth in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. She holds down third currently in points for the USCAA while sitting in fourth in the USCAA for free-throws with 108 out of 151.