ERIE, Pa. – Three players posted double-digit rebounds, while Emily Detsch (St. Marys, PA/Elk County Catholic) earned her first career double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds to lead Penn State Behrend past Pitt-Bradford 63-55 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) opener on Wednesday night.
Julia Myers (Edinboro, PA/General McLane) led the charge with a career- and team-best 18 points and 12 boards for her fourth double-double in just five games for the Lions (2-3, 1-0 AMCC). Brianna Bayly (Imperial, PA/West Allegheny) tallied a career-high 11 rebounds to go with eight points.
The Panthers (1-3, 0-1 AMCC) Alicia Kimmel dropped a game-high 20 points in the losing effort.
Behind clutch free-throw shooting in the final minute, Behrend managed to open the conference slate with a victory and fourth straight win over Pitt-Bradford.
The Lions never trailed in the game, but had scares late in the first half and in the last two minutes from relentless Pitt-Bradford.
Corrinne Pawlowski drained a layup with 1:06 until halftime to get the Panthers within one at 26-25. Courtney Wolosik (Pittsburgh, PA/North Catholic) scored her only basket with 11 seconds remaining to give Behrend a three-point lead.
That lead grew to 10 by the 14:48 mark, the same exact time Myers got her double-double which was followed up by a unconventional three-point play by Aly Eagle (Harmony, PA/Seneca Valley).
Pitt-Bradford never backed down and cut the game down to a four-point lead on three occasions with the last coming at 2:04 left to play.
Eagle, Ally Burke (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst) and Bayly all went 2-for-2 from the line in the last minute to secure the win.
Burke registered 12 points, four assists and three steals. As a team, the Lions grabbed a season-high 53 rebounds but had their worst outing from long range (1-for-15).
Behrend returns to action on Saturday at Pitt-Greensburg. Game time is 2 p.m.