WBB closes season with USCAA win
Lemont Furnace, PA - The Penn State Fayette women's basketball team closed out its 2019-20 campaign with a 72-31 win over Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Monday morning in a United States Collegiate Athletic Association consolation game.
"It was good to end the season with a win and a great team effort," said Fayette coach Scott Hillen after the game. "We played good defense and rebounded well."
The outcome was never in doubt as the Nittany Lions (17-10) jumped out to a 14-5 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. A 17-4 advantage in the second gave Fayette a 31-9 lead at the half over Albany (11-14). The second half was no different as Fayette rode a 24-13 advantage in the third to take a 55-22 lead into the fourth.
Brooke Poling (Perryopolis, PA/Frazier HS) scored a career-high with 23 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to register a double-double while Kaitlyn Riley (Charleroi, PA/Charleroi HS) also recorded a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Taylor McCormick (Laurel, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt HS) also hit double figures with 11 points while Anaejah Harris (Uniontown, PA/Albert Gallatin HS) pulled down 12 rebounds.
Fayette shot 37% (23-63) for the game and 30% (9-30) from beyond the arc while limiting Albany to 20% (12-59) from the floor and 7% (1-14) on three-pointers.
The Nittany Lions held a 54-40 rebounding advantage.
Clare Snell was the lone Albany player to hit double figures after finishing with 12 points.
Hillen spoke about how his seven-player team, made up of four sophomores and three freshmen with all of them being guards, grew together and he is excited for the future with the anticipated players that have said they are coming in.
"Playing with all guards, the girls knew we were fighting an uphill battle, but I am so proud of them," he said. "The girls grew closer on and off the court and I am excited about our future. This gives us momentum into next season. The plan is to bring in a bunch of girls so we can have real practices where the girls compete daily. Hopefully we can get some size to compliment our guard depth."
For more information on the women's basketball team, go to https://www.psfathletics.com/sports/wbkb/index or follow us on Instagram @fayetteathletics.
Written by Bill Hughes