ERIE, Pa. – Erika Woll (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) scored 13 of her team-high 17 points in the decisive second half, behind a 9-for-10 showing from the free-throw line to lead Penn State Behrend past Franciscan 64-61 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Saturday.
Woll, the leading scorer for the Lions (5-7, 3-2 AMCC) in back-to-back games, went 4-for-4 from the line in the final 39 seconds of the game to secure their first home win of the season. Dani Reinwald (Clymer, NY/Clymer Central) was also in double figures with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Iliana Gonzales, who ranks second in the conference in scoring (22.0 ppg), registered a game-high 24 points to go with nine rebounds. Gonzales hit her only triple of the day with six seconds left in the fourth quarter to get the Barons (2-9, 1-4 AMCC) within one point.
Behrend erased a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter to capture its third AMCC victory of the season and first of the New Year.
Down 41-31, Woll took over and scored the next seven points and then Courtney Zoglmann (Pittsburgh, PA/Thomas Jefferson) ended the third quarter with a jumper on a pass from Woll to cut the lead to three at 43-40.
Ali Goetz (Mars, PA/Mars) hit a pair of clutch three-pointers, one at the beginning of the fourth period after her layup in the paint on the previous possession to tie the game at 46-all. A minute later, Woll came down and drained a trey for the Lions first lead in over 10 minutes of play.
After Woll made two from the line to knot it at 52-all, Heidi Langhorst (Corapolis, PA/Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) hit the back end of two shots from the charity stripe to give Behrend the lead for good with 4:18 on the clock.
Nicole Boyer (Blairsville, PA/Blairsville) got the steal and the ensuing fast-break layup before Sadie Zielinski (Erie, PA/Harbor Creek) got one to go in the paint to stay ahead by three. Lucia Westrick made a pair of free throws, but Goetz came back with a three-pointer with 56 seconds left for a 60-56 edge.
Gonzales scored the final five points for Franciscan, keeping them within reach down to the wire. Exchanging free throws between Gonzales and Woll kept it a four-point game with 39 seconds showing.
With one last shot, Gonzales got redemption on a missed triple and nailed one with six seconds left to make it 62-61. Fouling to get the ball back, Woll remained hot from the line and sunk two for the final score at 64-61.
Gaby DeJesus threw up a half-court three pointer that hit off the rim in a last attempt at overtime.
Behrend held a 51-31 advantage on the boards and went 22-for-30 from the line for 73.3 percent.
The Lions return to action tomorrow against Pitt-Greensburg. Game time is 3 p.m.
