Hillsboro, Ohio - With a 71-68 edge over Southern State Community College Friday night and a 76-55 drop over Clark State Saturday morning, the Penn State Greater Allegheny women's basketball team took a 1-1 finish in the 2015-16 Southern State Community College Tip-Off Tournament.
Despite a time change due to travel implications, the Greater Allegheny women got their show on the road at 10:00 p.m. against the host team, Southern State CC.
Greater Allegheny inflated their score through the first quarter to 16 as the women held Southern State to just four in the first ten minutes. Sophomore forward Morgan McCallister (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) was the first to get on the board with a layup as sophomore guard Mandi Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) mirrored her with a layup herself. McCallister put up a free-throw while sophomore guard Tori Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) notched a jumper. Junior guard Jess Manfredi (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Serra Catholic) hammered down a three-pointer alongside a free-throw. With a McCallister string of four points and a freshman guard Chelsy Ware (Pittsburgh, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) free-throw sent the two teams into their first break.
The second quarter was a different story, as Southern State muscled through and elevated their tally 31 points, holding Greater Allegheny to just seven. Freshman forward Andrea Burroughs (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and freshman guard Brianna Williams (Pittsburgh, Pa./University Prep) denoted layups as M. Johnston added a free-throw point and a layup to ride out action in the first half.
Coming into the new half, GA trailed 35-23. M. Johnston dropped four points as both McCallister and Manfredi put up layups. Burroughs blew up with six consecutive points to bring the game within nine. Williams and Manfredi lay on points in the paint while Ware and M. Johnston connected on jumpers. T. Johnston added three points from the line to end the first quarter of action, 53-48.
M. Johnston flexed through the fourth quarter, as the guard battered the Southern State defense with a layup, jumper and a three-pointer to bring the game within three points. T. Johnston came in clutch from the free-throw line with two points as Manfredi tacked on a trey to take back the lead, 60-59. M. Johnston cushioned the lead with a three-pointer and layup. SSCC continued to add points to push on the action. T. Johnston dropped a jumper while Williams and Burroughs placed points in the paint, giving the Greater Allegheny Lions the victory, 71-68.
M. Johnston shot 50% (10-for-20) from the floor with 23 points, ten rebounds, four assists, and a steal, noting a double-double on the evening. Burroughs went 71.4% (5-of-7) from the floor, as the forward marked a double-double as well with 11 rebounds and ten points. Manfredi contributed 11 points with five rebounds, four assists and a steal while McCallister marked nine points on 66.7% (4-of-6) of her shots taken from the floor with five boards.
As a team, GA out-rebounded SSCC 60-45 while the women posted 38 points in the paint, 22 off second-chance and 14 points off of turnovers.
On Saturday, the women were set for an 11 a.m. start with Clark State at Southern State.
Clark State zipped up to a quick 5-0 lead before Manfredi, Williams and M. Johnston put on layups. T. Johnston, Manfredi and M. Johnston put on three-pointers to bring the score to 15-13 Greater Allegheny with a little over a minute left in the first quarter. Clark State managed a few more points to put themselves ahead of GA after the first ten, 18-15.
The next quarter brought a Clark State inflation, as they held Greater Allegheny to just a M. Johnston layup as they brought their lead to 29-17. In just a little over a minute of play, Manfredi posted a three-pointer as M. Johnston and McCallister connected on points in the paint, sending the two teams into halftime at a 39-26 Clark State advantage.
The third quarter brought just eight M. Johnston points, two from the free-throw line, a pair of jumpers and a layup. Clark State managed to increase their score to 55 as they held Greater Allegheny to just 34.
Burroughs put up four points before T. Johnston and M. Johnston both added two points in the paint, 57-42 Clark State. McCallister put in two from the free-throw line as Manfredi added a layup and M. Johnston put up seven points. Ware made a layup to finish the second game of the weekend at a 76-55 Greater Allegheny setback.
M. Johnston posted 11 buckets from the floor and 75% (3-of-4) from the free-throw line for 26 points with four rebounds, two steals and an assist. Manfredi connected on ten points, four boards and three assists.
As a team, Greater Allegheny shot 83.3% (5-of-6) from foul line as the team posted 34 points in the paint and 16 points on turnovers.
Greater Allegheny (3-5) will take a break for the holiday before the women host Carlow on December 1 in Wunderley Gymnasium. The ladies are set to tip-off at 7 p.m.
