Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's basketball team returned to KOA Arena on Saturday, hosting Mount Aloysius in an AMCC matchup. The Panthers started slow and were never able to recover, ultimately falling 80-57 to the Mounties.
Pitt-Bradford struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the opening quarter, going the first 7 and a half minutes of play without scoring. On the other end of the floor, they struggled to contain Mount Aloysius, who made three early long balls to jump out to an 18-0 lead. Amber Murak finally got the Panthers on the board, drawing a foul with 2 minutes left in the quarter and converting both free throws. After the Mounties answered with a three, Ella Gettings made a midrange jumper, while Murak drove to the basket for a final layup, finishing the quarter with Pitt-Bradford trailing 24-6.
The Panthers got out to a better start in the second quarter, as Gettings and Murak each converted three-point plays in the opening minutes. Murak's effort began a 7-0 run for the Panthers that saw Molly Cady make a short jumper, and Murak added another on the break. The visitors answered with 8 straight of their own, but Murak was able to close the period with another layup, sending the game to the break with Pitt-Bradford behind 35-18.
Murak began the second half with a free throw, but the Panthers saw the deficit grow shortly after as the Mounties converted a three-point play and added a layup. After two minutes, Dalayla Alexander made Pitt-Bradford's first three of the game and then a possession later, Murak turned a steal into a fast break layup to match the visitor's5 5-0 run. After Mount Aloysius went on a 9-1 run, Gettings caught fire for the Panthers. She scored 9 straight for the Panthers. Unfortunately, the Panthers only cut four points off the lead in the stretch. Alexander closed the quarter for the Panthes, making a pair of fast break layups after stealing the ball in the back court.
Gettings and Murak made early jumpshots in the final period for Pitt-Bradford, but the visitors were able to extend their lead to 29 after outscoring the Panthers 15-4 before forcing a Pitt-Bradford timeout with 5 minutes remaining. Murak and Alexander combined for 3 free throws after the timeout, while Murak added a layup and a pair of three-pointers. With less than two minutes to go, the Panthers made a late 7-0 run, as Lilly Thuman made a layup, Alexander added a jumpshot, and Murak hit her second three. It drew the Panthers closer, but the visitors closed the game with two late free throws, putting the final score at 80-57.
Amber Murak led all scorers in the game, finishing with 23 points. Dalayla Alexander had an all-around performance, tallying 13 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 8 steals. Ella Gettings recorded a double-double, finishing with a season-high 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Pitt-Bradford falls to 0-16 on the season with a 0-8 record in AMCC play. They will return to action on Wednesday, January 28th, when they host Penn State-Altoona as part of a doubleheader. Tipoff is slated for 5:00 p.m.
