McKeesport, Pa. - In their fourth consecutive win of the season, the Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team (8-7, 5-2) went on to cruise to another easy Penn State University Athletic Conference victory, as they rolled over Penn State York, 81-51.
Early contributions from junior power forward Christina Floyd (Philadelphia, Pa./Saints Neumann-Goretti), senior point guard Taylor Fulton (Duquesne, Pa./West Mifflin) and freshman forward Aaquila Youngblood (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) boosted Greater Allegheny to a 9-7 lead within the first five minutes. Junior guard Shelby Bendick (White Oak, Pa./McKeesport Area) marked a lay-up before Fulton dumped a three-pointer, followed by a Floyd lay-up, 16-11 GA.
Junior guard Nakayla Layne (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) added a lay-up as Fulton followed her with six. Youngblood, Floyd and Layne combined efforts before Fulton capped off the first half scoring drive with a trey, GA up 35-20.
The swell continued on within the next twenty minutes. Floyd opened up Greater Allegheny's scoring drive with a huge three-pointer. The lead by 15 was regained as Floyd and Youngblood matched one another with a lay-up. Bendick put four up on the board before freshman forward Tenisha Gibson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) notched two free-throws. Freshman guard Tra-Esha Carswell (Homestead, Pa./Steel Valley) dumped a jumper before Fulton's next three-pointer as the clock wound down into the final nine minutes.
Carswell, Floyd and Layne combined forces as the trio influxed GA's score 16 points. Fulton banked two free-throws followed by two Gibson lay-ups to wind the clock down within minute of action to play. Carswell managed to add the last tallies for Greater Allegheny, closing the game at a 81-51 triumph.
Leading the GA Lions to their 30-point victory was Floyd, as she completed 75% (12-of-16) of her shots taken from the floor, dumped 25 points and took down eleven boards, and Fulton, who hammered 22 points and dished out 18 assists. Layne and Youngblood matched one another, as each of them posted eight points apiece toward the Greater Allegheny tally. Bendick, Carswell and Gibson got into the mix, as they each put up six points.
As a team, Greater Allegheny bucketed 45.6% (36-of-79) of their shots taken from the floor alongside out-rebounding York, 43-35. GA turned 28 York turnovers into 36 points as well as went on to achieve 46 points in the paint and 36 points off of second chance.
The team looks to keep the streak alive, as the women host Penn College, Saturday morning. The game, which was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., has been moved up to a 11 a.m. start time due to the projected inclement weather.
