York, PA. – After having a season where they won just four games a year ago, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Women’s Basketball Team (11-7, 8-1) have clinched a spot in the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs with a 79-48 win over Penn State York (5-9, 3-6) on Friday night. The win marked the fifth straight for the women and it gives them their first playoff berth since the 2013-2014 season.
The offense continued to roll to the tune of 79 points marking the fifth straight game in which they have scored at least 72 points in a game. It was junior Jayla Ellis (Pittsburgh, PA./Woodland Hills HS) that led the way with 21 points as she was one of four different PSUGA players to finish in double digits.
Tina Clybourn (Pittsburgh, PA./Brashear HS) got things started with a three-pointer and the team’s battled to a 5-4 score through the first minute of action. PSUGA would get the first advantage of the game going on a 9-3 run and led 15-8 halfway through the first quarter. The defense would do their part holding York to just nine points in the quarter and PSUGA was up 20-9 after one.
PSUGA continued to hold off the surging York team only allowing them to come within 13 points before putting their foot on the gas. As the team’s broke for the locker room it was PSUGA who found themselves up 38-27. Ellis was a major catalyst for the offense scoring 13 of her team high 21 points in the half. After the offense started things, the defense took over.
York could only score 26 points combined in the second half thanks to a great rebounding effort from PSUGA. It was one of the defensive leaders who was lighting up the scoreboard as well with Lexus Santiago (Pittsburgh, PA./Imani Christian Academy) registering 11 of her 13 points in the second half and helping her team close out the 79-48 victory.
The win marks the first trip to the PSUAC tournament for PSUGA under the leadership of head coach Chrissy French. After two seasons where her teams combined for just eight wins, she has been able to turn the program around leading her team to their 11th win of the season. No one for the current team was around for the last playoff run as this year’s team looks to make their mark in this year’s tournament.
After taking the rest of the weekend off, the women return to action on Tuesday when they come home to host PSU-DuBois as they start a stretch of five games in eight days on the road to the PSUAC playoffs.
