SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. – Penn State Schuylkill defeated PSUAC opponent Penn State Hazleton during the final game of their five-game home stretch, 56-49.
Hazleton jumped out to an early 8-2 lead at the halfway point of the first quarter. Schuylkill then proceeded to outscore Hazleton 13-5 to take a two-point lead heading into the second period.
A made three pointer by Katelynn Himes (Frackville, PA / North Schuylkill High School) extended Schuylkill's lead to 18-14 at the 9:39 mark of the second quarter. Hazleton reclaimed the lead with a 6-0 run immediately following Himes' three-point shot.
The second half of the period witnessed heightened action with a total of 5 lead changes. Consecutive hustle plays resulting in baskets for Ava Novak (Numidia, PA / Southern Columbia High School) and Jasmine Wright (Sicklerville, NJ / Winslow Township High School) gave Schuylkill a two-possession lead for the rest of the half.
With Hazleton trailing 33-28 with 7:34 to go in the third, Schuylkill established dominance, going on a 7-0 run to claim a 12-point lead, their largest lead of the contest.
Hazleton narrowed the deficit to three points with 3:31 remaining in the contest. After Wright made a pair of free throws, extending Schuylkill's lead to five, Malak Mowafi (Iselin, NJ / John F Kennedy Memorial High School) replicated the feat, going two for two at the line, resulting in a 54-47 lead with 29 seconds on the clock.
Following a Hazleton jump shot that brought it to a two-possession game, Mowafi once again went two for two, sealing the victory for Schuylkill and putting the game out of reach for Hazleton.
Novak, Wright, and Himes scored 35 of Schuylkill's 56 points off the bench with Novak leading the team with 14. Wright finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Himes added 9. Allison Crockett (Liverpool, PA / Greenwood High School) led the starting unit, finishing with 12 points and 5 rebounds.
Schuylkill (7-10 overall, 4-5 PSUAC) will remain in conference play for their next matchup as they travel to PSUAC opponent Penn State Brandywine. Start time for that matchup is 12:00 p.m.
