ERIE, Pa. – Seniors Brittany Kiger (White Oak, PA/McKeesport) and Ally Burke (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst) each registered 24 points to lift Penn State Behrend over Hilbert 87-67 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Wednesday night.
Kiger went 9-for-12 from the field for a career-high 24 points, while posting career highs in steals and assists with four apiece. For Burke, it marked her 12th game where she scored 20 or more points. She is now just 12 points away from reaching 1,000 points for her career.
Shannon Rogers, who is second in the AMCC in rebounding, led the Hawks (3-19, 2-15 AMCC) with 15 points and nine boards.
The Lions (6-18, 6-11 AMCC) shot over 50 percent in each half, ending with a season-high 55.6 field-goal percentage to earn their second win over Hilbert this season.
Behrend used the second half of the first stanza to pull away from the Hawks. With a one-point lead at 13-12, the Lions went on an astounding 30-5 run over an eight-minute span to take a 43-17 advantage. Maggie Lawrence (Harborcreek, PA/Harbor Creek) contributed seven points in just five minutes of action and Burke added seven points of her own.
The Lions never relinquished the lead in the second half outscoring Hilbert 39-38 to finish with a 20-point lead.
Fontaine Glenn (West Sunbury, PA/Moniteau) added 10 points and eight rebounds, while Sadie Zielinski (Erie, PA/Harbor Creek) tallied nine points and three assists.
Behrend returns to action on Saturday in its home finale against Pitt-Greensburg. Game time is 2 p.m.