CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Allegheny women's basketball team fell in a back-and-forth battle at Case Western Reserve, 71-65, Saturday (Nov. 26) in nonconference action.
Emily Lauer (Knox, Pa./Keystone) helped spark the Gators in the first quarter, shooting five-of-six from the floor and converting both free-throw attempts to tally 13 points in ten minutes. Leading 10-9 with four minutes to go in the frame, the Gators rattled off an 8-0 run to take an 18-9 advantage into the second quarter.
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Kate Leach (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) lay-up to start the second pushed the Gator lead to 11. Allegheny maintained their lead throughout the frame, but a late Case Western Reserve run brought it within one, 31-30, at halftime. Lauer finished the half with 18 points on seven-of-nine shooting. The Gators also held a 24-20 rebounding advantage in the first half.
After trading baskets in the third, a three-pointer by the Spartans gave them a 38-36 lead. The Gators answered with a 6-0 run to regain the advantage. However, Case Western Reserve was able to tie the game at 48 with a pair of late free-throws as the teams were deadlocked going into the final frame.
The teams remained tied midway through the quarter at 56 apiece. The Spartans went on a 9-2 run to take a 65-58 lead. The Gators continued to battle back, cutting the lead down to 65-62 with 90 seconds left. After the lead grew to four in the final 30 seconds, a
Sofia Genareo (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central) three brought the lead down to 67-65. However, it was not enough as the Spartans converted late free-throws to seal the win.
Inside the Box
- Lauer tied her career-high with 24 points to go alongside three rebounds and three assists.
- Sarah Santicola (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area), Alexis Caldwell (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay), Genareo and Bickart all finished with eight points.
- Santicola had a team-high 11 rebounds and two blocks.
- Genareo finished with six rebounds while Leach had four rebounds and four points.
- Caldwell matched Lauer with three assists.
- The Gators shot 45.6% (26-of-57) from the floor and owned a 40-36 rebounding advantage.
Up Next
The Gators return to Meadville Wednesday (Nov. 30) for a 6:30 pm Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) contest against Geneva.