Cresson, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's basketball game hit the road on Saturday for a match against AMCC foe Mount Aloysius. The Panthers struggled to slow the Mountie offense and lost 105-77.
The contest started at a lightning-quick pace and both teams scored on their opening possession. The hosts scored with a midrange jumper and then Amber Murak sank a three to give Pitt-Bradford their only lead of the game. It did not last long, and the Mounties took control with a pair of threes on the next two possessions. Paige Gratto made a fast-break bucket to keep the Panthers within one possession, however, Mount Aloysius quickly added another long ball and three unanswered layups to open up a 12-point edge. Murak kept the Panthers close to their opponents with three of the next four Panther baskets, but the hosts stayed hot from beyond the arc and increased their lead to 15 in the same stretch. Gratto and Ackerman made threes on consecutive possessions to temporarily cut the deficit to single digits, however, it was quickly matched with two three-pointers in the final 33 seconds to end the quarter with Pitt-Bradford trailing 34-19.
The Mount Aloysius run continued as the game moved into the second quarter, and the hosts scored the first 10 points of the period before Raquel Sewell put the Panthers back on the board with a short jump shot. As the quarter continued, the hosts had an answer for every Pitt-Bradford basket, answering Panther layups wth threes, and free throws with field goals. At the 5-minute mark, Avery Benzel converted a three-point play, but her basket was followed by 5 unanswered from the Mounties, extending the deficit to 31. Gratto and Murak added field goals in the last minutes of the half, and Benzel made two from the line to finish the first trailing 64-31.
Murak started the second half with a three, however, it was one again matched don't he the following possession, starting a 7-0 run for the hosts. Trailing 79-39 with 5 minutes left in the quarter, Pitt-Bradford went on an 8-0 run with baskets on three consecutive possessions. Murak started the rally with a three and then assisted Alexa Ackerman, who also made a long shot. After another stop, Avery Benzel drove to the basket for a layup, completing the run. Gratto and Benzel added a pair of late layups, but a last-second three by the Mounties ended the third with a 42-point deficit.
Pitt-Bradford battled back in the final quarter, outscoring the hosts 26-12. The Panther defense was the key to the rally, as they kept Mount Aloysius from scoring for the first 4:38 of the quarter. In that span, the Panthers scored 12 points of their own. Benzel, Gratto, and Murak all made field goals, while Ackerman added a three. In the final minutes, Benzel added four more, while Gratto scored 7, including a final three to end the game with the final score 105-77.
Paige Gratto led the Panthers with 23 points and also had a team-high 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Amber Murak set a career high, scoring 21 points, while also registering 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 assists, and a blocked shot. Avery Benzel added 16 with 7 assists.
The loss drops the Panthers to 2-13 overall with a 1-8 record in AMCC play. They will have a much-needed midweek bye, before returning to action next Saturday with a home game against La Roche. tipoff is set for 4:15 in KOA Arena.
