ERIE, Pa. – Brianna Bayly (Imperial, PA/West Allegheny) scored 24 points in just 20 minutes of work, marking a new career high to help the Penn State Behrend women's basketball team defeat Pitt-Greensburg 65-55 in the first round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) playoffs on Tuesday night.
Bayly tied her career best with five three pointers and went 9-for-11 from the charity stripe all in the second half for the Lions (16-9) to hold off the Bobcats (11-15). Julia Myers (Edinboro, PA/General McLane) did damage in the first half and finished with her 12th double-double of the season with 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
Courtney DiBridge led Pitt-Greensburg with 18 points.
Bayly made her first three shots of the second half, all coming from behind the arc to put Behrend ahead 38-28. She even had the chance for a four-point play with a foul coming at the end of her third shot but missed the free throw, the first of only two she did not hit all game.
The Bobcats had a chance to change the game, knocking in a triple and then getting the possession right back to score a bucket for five straight points but Behrend grabbed the rebound off a missed free throw got a pair of layups from Holly Bourquin (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) on the next two trips down the court to make it 44-36 with 11:04 remaining.
Behrend kept a steady lead, hitting an 11-point margin off Bayly's fifth three-pointer at the 4:34 mark for a 56-45 lead.
The Lions, who have gone 51-78 from the line in the final two minutes of the game as a team this season, went 9-for-15 with 2:40 left to play to secure the playoff win.
The first half proved to be one of runs with Behrend taking a 12-3 lead in the first five minutes. The Bobcats rallied to tie it at 12-all but Behrend went on a 12-2 spurt to take a 24-14 advantage and forcing a Greensburg timeout.
The Bobcats came out of the quick 30-second break and used a 6-1 run to cut the lead to five at halftime.
As a team, the Lions had 14 steals including five from Aly Eagle (Harmony, PA/Seneca Valley).
Bourquin was the third player in double figures for Behrend with 13 points, seven rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks.
Behrend will face No. 2 Medaille in the AMCC Semifinals on Friday at La Roche. Game time is 8 p.m.