McKeesport, PA. – The Penn State Greater Allegheny Women’s Basketball team (15-9, 11-3) is looking for a strong finish to the regular season when they travel to Lamont Furnace, PA. to take on Penn State Fayette (11-13, 7-7) on Friday at 6 p.m. With the #2 seed locked up, PSUGA will be looking for some momentum as they get set to host in the first round of the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs on Tuesday February 19th.
PSUGA is coming off of a little under a week break that followed a stretch where they played five games in a span of nine days going 2-3 over that stretch. They ended it with two big wins including an 87-32 win over PSU-New Kensington on Saturday that tied them for the most wins in a single season in PSUGA Women’s Basketball program history.
It was all PSUGA right from the get go as they scored the first 15 points of the game and didn’t allow their opponents to get on the board for the games first five minutes. They went ahead 49-18 at halftime before closing out the game with 48 second-half points to help them pick up the win.
Kiya Blair (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick HS) had a career day finishing with a team leading 17 points and six rebounds while Tina Clybourn (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear HS) finished behind her with 16 points in the win. Senior Andrea Burroughs (New Rochelle, NY./New Rochelle HS) was the lone senior honored for the women on senior day and finished one of five players in double digits putting up 10 points to go with eight rebounds.
After PSU-Beaver defeated PSU-DuBois on Wednesday night, PSUGA is now locked in as the #2 seed and will host the #3 seed at home in the first round of the PSUAC playoffs on Tuesday February 19th at 6 p.m. It will be the first time the women have played in a home playoff game since the 2013-2014 season, which is also the last time they were able to make the PSUAC tournament. Who their opponent will be, will be determined over the weekend as DuBois and PSU-Fayette are battling for seeding in their final games of the regular season.
Fayette enters Friday’s game on a hot streak having won their last three games and catching PSU-DuBois for the #3 spot in the division. They are coming off of a big 97-48 win over PSU-Hazleton. Fayette’s offense was strong throughout the night as they scored 20 or more points in all but one quarter to secure the win. Six different Roaring Lions finished in double digits on the day led by Kaitlin Riley’s 24 point effort in the win.
In 16 previous matches with PSU-Fayette, PSUGA has a record of 6-10. PSUGA picked up a win earlier this season against PSU-Fayette 79-70 inside the Wunderly Gym. After being tied 38-38 at halftime, PSUGA came out with a 22-point third quarter and it was enough for them to hold off Fayette and get the win. Clybourn led the way with 19 points in that game an three other PSUGA players finished in double digits.
Tip-off for Friday’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m. as the first half of a men’s and women’s double header at the Penn State Fayette gym.
