D'Youville Rallies To Edge Women's Basketball

BUFFALO, NY – Jean-Ann Korona scored a game-high 26 points, nearly half of the D'Youville women's basketball team's points in a 59-51 victory over Penn State Behrend in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) opener for both teams on Wednesday night.

The Spartans (3-1, 1-0 AMCC) took advantage of being sent to the free-throw line 26 times, while causing 29 turnovers by the Lions (1-6, 0-1 AMCC) resulting in 18 points and their third win of the season.

Katie Chess (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) had a team-high 10 points for Behrend and added six rebounds. Heidi Langhorst (Corapolis, PA/Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) registered eight points and Rachael Razzano (New Castle, PA/New Castle) dished out six assists.

The Lions had seven players score in the opening quarter to jump out to their largest lead at 17-8. D'Youville used the second quarter to cut the lead in half, but Behrend held a six-point lead heading into the break at 29-23.

The Spartans began to chip away at the lead in the third period and tied the game at 39-all behind six straight points from Korona. Ali Goetz (Mars, PA/Mars) hit a three-pointer that sparked an 8-0 run to end the quarter with a 47-39.

In the final 10 minutes, D'Youville outscored the Lions 20-4 thanks to 12 points from Korona to turn the eight-point lead in their favor. Behrend went 2-for-18 from the field, while the Spartans shot 50 percent from the floor (6-for-12) and 7-for-10 from the charity stripe for the come-from-behind victory.

The Lions first field goal was at the 8:21 mark and the last came with 2:53 left to play from Chess for a 51-49 lead. Korona responded by knocking down a three-pointer and then scoring four more points down the stretch.

Behrend returns to action on Saturday at Franciscan. Game time is 2 p.m.