Lady Luck swung both ways for the Pitt-Bradford basketball teams
in an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference split with La Roche
College at the Sport & Fitness Center on Saturday.
In the opener, a furious rally by the Lady Panthers fell two
points short in a 73-71 loss to the visitors from Pittsburgh.
Trailing 29-8 midway through the first half, the Lady Panthers
tied the contest at 71-all on a three-pointer by Hollie Rapp with
23 seconds remaining.
Pitt-Bradford had a chance to take the lead with 7.7 seconds
showing, but a pair of missed free throws by the hosts and then two
conversions from the charity stripe by La Roche’s Chloe Stewart
with 2.6 seconds left sealed the deal for the Lady Redhawks.
“We came out flat in the first half and dug ourselves a 21-point
hole,” said Brian Sansom, Pitt-Bradford head coach. “We came out in
the second half like the team we know we can be and played the best
defense I have seen since I took over.”
Rapp had 22 points on 10-for-14 from the field, and Maria
Costanza added 12 points and six assists for the Lady Panthers
(6-13, 6-8). Chantelle Jennings poured in 32 points for La Roche
(11-9, 9-6).
In the second game, La Roche missed a wide-open shot just before
the buzzer to give the Panthers their eighth straight win with a
69-68 decision.
Pitt-Bradford led 52-44 with 9:38 remaining, but the Redhawks
rallied to open a 59-54 margin with 6:50 showing.
It was 68-65 La Roche with 1:58 left when Dan Heisey converted a
layup at the 1:30 mark and two free throws with 11 seconds
remaining to put the Panthers in front 69-68.
Then from midcourt with six seconds left, La Roche’s Andy
Tressler fired a perfect pass to Mike Dixon in the paint. Dixon
drove to the hoop, missed from about two feet away and the
Panthers’ Jerusalem Strickland grabbed the rebound as the horn
sounded.
“We were playing zone and we had a couple guys out of position,”
said Andy Moore, Pitt-Bradford head coach. “We were fortunate he
(Dixon) muffed the shot.”
Heisey had 22 points on 12-for-14 from the foul line, Alex
VanDeusen contributed 13 points and Tyler Ferguson added 11 points
for Pitt-Bradford (11-8, 11-3). Dixon and David Culp had 18 points
apiece for La Roche (10-10, 7-8).
The Pitt-Bradford teams will travel to D’Youville College on
Wednesday (6/8 p.m.).
