Penn State Schuylkill Wins First PSUAC Women's Basketball Title

BOX SCORE

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - Never. Never before had Penn State Schuylkill won a PSUAC Women's Basketball Tournament title. Well that all changed on Monday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center as Schuylkill held on to cap a terrific season with a 53-45 win over Penn State Lehigh Valley.

Schuylkill, the no. 1 seed in the East Division, topped their division rivals for the third time this season--the only three losses Lehigh Valley suffered in the conference. Schuylkill used a quick start to jump out to a 10-4 lead midway through the first quarter. The teams would combine for only five points the rest of the quarter as each team's defense forced turnovers, tough shots and cut down on second-chance opportunities. The second quarter belonged to Lehigh Valley, who won it 14-11 to cut the Schuylkill lead to 23-21 at the break.

The teams went back and forth in the third, with Schuylkill eventually grabbing a six point advantage at 31-25, but Lehigh Valley would answer to tie it at 33 apiece at the 3:38 mark. Moments later Lehigh Valley held their first lead at 35-33 after a pair of Jah'nel Oliver free throws, but it was short lived as three different Schuylkill players scored during a 6-0 run to grab the lead back at 39-35. Lehigh Valley got within two in the fourth, but Tajae Stevenson hit a three to make it 46-41, and Lehigh Valley would never get closer than three after that. 

Stevenson and teammate Nadia King led all scorers with 14 points apiece, with Oliver and Samantha Columna the only two Lehigh Valley players in double figures with 10. The defenses were prolific for both teams, as they combined to shoot 30 percent from the field--35 percent from Schuylkill and 25 percent for Lehigh Valley.

Schuylkill, who had already received an at-large bid to the USCAA Basketball National Championship tournament, picks up the PSUAC's automatic berth. Lehigh Valley had also already received an at-large bid to the event, held March 12-16 in Richmond, Va.