Scranton, Pa. - The Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team overcame Penn State Worthington-Scranton, 72-59, in a Penn State University Athletic Conference match-up, Friday night.
Each of the starting five for Greater Allegheny recorded a jumper within the first three minutes, finding themselves ahead of Scranton, 10-5. After two successful free-throws from junior power forward Christina Floyd (Philadelphia, Pa./Saints Neumann-Goretti), Scranton bucketed 10 points to find themselves propelled over Greater Allegheny. Successful free-throw trips taken by senior point guard Taylor Fulton (Duquesne, Pa./West Mifflin) and freshman point guard Shacobia Horn (Miami, Fla./Miami Southridge) moved GA back ahead, 16-15. Scranton would not regain the lead from this point on. Freshman power forward Aaquila Youngblood (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) completed four straight jumpers, adding to the GA lead 26-17 with nine minutes left to play. Junior guard Shelby Bendick (White Oak, Pa./McKeesport Area) and Floyd cashed in for seven within the next two minutes. Freshman guard Tra-Esha Carswell got in on the action, as she notched two jumpers to swell GA, 39-20. Youngblood completed a jumper before Scranton added 13 points within the last three minutes. Floyd added two in the final seconds before half, sending the game into the next twenty with a score of 43-33 GA.
Four players swelled Greater Allegheny's tally 16 points within the next seven minutes of play. Scranton earned a few points toward their mark before being cut off by a huge Fulton three-pointer followed by a Bendick jumper. Carswell and Horn bucketed jumpers to find GA ahead, 68-50 with seven minutes to play. Bendick and Youngblood wrapped up the scoring series for the Greater Allegheny Lions, as they end of regulation came to a close; GA victorious, 72-59.
Youngblood played a stellar game, as the power forward completed 9-of-11 shots taken from the floor. She also dropped a game-high 18 points alongside four rebounds. Bendick posted 14 points as well as three rebounds. Floyd and Fulton both added 11 points and eight rebounds apiece. Floyd completed 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. Fulton slashed four-of-four from the free-throw line, along with posting eight steals and eight assists.
To boost Greater Allegheny's efforts, the team went 44.8% (30-67) from the floor as they also checked 68.8% (11-17) free-throws attempted. The team out-rebounded Scranton 53-31 as well as added 34 second-chance points.
The win brings the Greater Allegheny women to a record of 3-6, 1-1 PSUAC. GA is set for another road game Saturday afternoon, as the women travel to Penn State Wilkes-Barre to close their weekend trip. Tip-off is clocked for 1 p.m.
