PSUGA Women Crack Top 20 in Weekly USCAA Poll

PSUGA Women Crack Top 20 in Weekly USCAA Poll

McKeesport, PA. – The United States Collegiate Athletic Association released their weekly men’s and women’s basketball coach’s poll top 20 list late Wednesday night and the Penn State Greater Allegheny Women’s Basketball Team (4-6, 3-0) was ranked #20 in the nation. It is the first time in program history that PSUGA has cracked the USCAA top 20 and their recent string of success has gotten them to this point.

PSUGA is currently on a three-game winning streak after defeating Penn State University Athletic Conference rival Penn State Mont Alto on Wednesday 79-55. they has gotten contributions from many of their key returners leading to the string of success that helped them crack the top 20.

Junior Tearia Hartley (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg North HS) and sophomore Tina Clybourn (Pittsburgh, PA./Brashear HS) have been the driving forces of an offense that is averaging 56.8 points per game this season. Clybourn and Hartley have been the top two scorers through 10 games with 134 and 102 points respectively. Clybourn has been one of the top scorers in the conference this season ranking fourth in the PSUAC with her 134 points.

Hartley also leads the defensive side of the ball with 83 rebounds and is second in the PSUAC with 43 assists. Since transferring from Lackawanna College earlier this year, Hartley has come in and been a steady leader for this season’s team. She has scored in double digits in five of her 10 games played including picking up two double-doubles.

PSUGA is now 3-0 in conference play for the first time in program history, and head coach Chrissy French eludes to numbers and the hard work put in by her girls as the major reasons for this year’s early success.

“At the beginning of the year we played some really tough competition to help up our game, but we also have numbers,” said French. “Last year, we had some really talented kids that were young, but we only had six or seven. This year, we have kids who are coming off the bench contributing plus the kids from last year are solid and I think right now we are in a good place.”

PSUGA will look to cement their spot in the top 20 when they take on non-conference opponent Villa Maria on Friday as part of a Men’s and Women’s Basketball doubleheader with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m.