Greensburg, PA– The Alfred State women's basketball team picked up a 55-50 road victory over the Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats. After winning, the Pioneers improve to 4-6 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
Taylor Benjamin delivered a strong all-around performance, recording 11 points, eight rebounds, and two steals while knocking down three three-pointers.
Emeline Barton followed with 12 points, five rebounds, and two steals, while
Sarah Somers contributed on both ends with 11 points and four steals.
The Pioneers opened the game with confidence as Benjamin knocked down a three-pointer to start the scoring. A few possessions later,
Kirsten Merritt connected from deep to extend Alfred's early lead to 8-2. Alfred closed out the first quarter holding a 14-10 advantage.
In the second quarter, the Bobcats cut the deficit to two within the opening minute, but
Taylor Searle responded immediately with a three-pointer to make it 17-12.
Jordan Niles followed with a bucket in the paint to maintain Alfred's momentum. With 4:32 remaining before halftime, Barton scored inside, and Somers followed with a layup of her own to extend the lead to 25-12. Behind additional contributions from
Alyssa Auer,
Mallory Sprissler, and Searle, the Pioneers headed into halftime leading 31-22.
Pitt-Greensburg began to chip away in the third quarter, narrowing the gap to just two points at 33-31 with 4:49 remaining. Alfred responded as Benjamin converted a jumper off a feed from Sprissler. After continued back-and-forth action, the Bobcats trimmed the score to 37-34 late in the quarter. Benjamin answered once again, knocking down her second three-pointer to close the period and give Alfred a 40-36 edge.
The tightly contested battle continued into the fourth quarter as the Bobcats opened with a jumper to make it a two-possession game. Alfred responded with a three-pointer from Auer. The Pioneers slowly pulled away behind strong interior play from
Sprissler and Niles, extending the lead to 47-38. Although Pitt-Greensburg made a late push, Alfred State remained composed down the stretch to secure the 55-50 victory.
The Pioneers' next game will be on the road against Keystone. Tipff off is set fof Wednesday, December 31st at 2pm.
