Women's Basketball: Beaver Wins Third Straight PSUAC Crown

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA-- After being tied at the half, Beaver used strong performances from Brittany Jackson and Morgan Kurtz to push ahead and then hold on for an 82-68 win over Hazleton to capture their third consecutive PSUAC championship at the Bryce Jordan Center.

"Winning three straight is great," said Beaver Athletic Director Andy Kirschner.  "Coach Moore has done an excellent job at continually replacing parts each year."

Opening the second half tied at 37-37, Hazleton's Taylor Cannon knocked down a jump shot to push the fourth seed ahead by two.  Beaver then countered with an 11-3 run, capped by a jumper from Kurtz that gave them a 48-42 lead at the 16:20 mark. 

Alexis Daly's two free-throws cut the Beaver lead to just two at 48-46, which would serve as the high-water mark for Hazleton's comeback attempts.  A 13-2 run by Beaver over the next seven minutes would cement the outcome, as the two seed avoided becoming Hazleton's second late-comeback victim.

"I was certainly nervous after a great first half from both teams," said Kirschner.  "It was nice to get that cushion at the end since we were well-aware of what Hazleton did against Brandywine."

Jackson led Beaver with 23 points on 9-12 shooting, while Kurtz earned a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.  Taylor Cannon led all scorers with 31 points for Hazleton, while Daly also earned a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Beaver enters the USCAA Championship as the number two seed, a position that Kirschner said the team is excited about.

"We're excited for that seed, though we know it doesn't always mean we'll have an easy road."

Beaver opens against the seventh seed, Berkeley College-NY, next Thursday, March 5 at 4 p.m.