Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's basketball team returned to KOA Arena on Saturday to host Carlow on Senior Day. The Panthers started strong, leading after one period, but could not maintain their momentum and ultimately lost 90-66.
Before the tip, the Panthers took a moment to recognize one graduating senior. Raquel Sewell has played three seasons with the Panthers. In 53 games played, she totaled 242 points, 309 rebounds, and 27 blocks.
Amber Murak kick-started the Panthers' offense as she opened the scoring with an old-fashioned three-point play and then followed it with a conventional three from beyond the arc. Pitt-Bradford extended its lead to 7 points on jumpers from Amaria Mims and Ella Gettings, but the Celtics closed the gap with an 8-2 run. Gettings kept the Panthers in front with three layups, and Murak made another three to restore the 7-point edge with less than a minute left. Unfortunately, Carlow closed with a 5-2 run to end the quarter with Pitt-Bradford leading 22-18.
The Panthers scored the first four points of the 2nd to add to their lead; however, they lost their momentum and allowed Carlow to score 9 of 11 points to cut their advantage back to one. Sewell converted inside to keep the Panthers ahead for a moment, but the Celtics continued their run and scored the next 7 points of the game. A Murak three was immediately answered by Carlow to begin a 6-0 run to end the half.
Carlow scored the first four points of the second half before Gettings made a layup to get the Panthers back on the board. Dalayla Alexander made a midrange jumper to keep the lead in single digits, but the Panthers would not be able to keep up for long. Gettings made layups on back-to-back possessions; however, they were followed by a 4-minute dry spell that saw the deficit grow to 20 points. Sewell ended the drought with a three-point play, but the Celtics answered it with a pair of free throws and a layup to send the game to its final quarter with the Panthers trailing 65-44.
The Celtics run continued into the fourth quarter, and despite an early Murak three, the visitors tacked on to their lead with a 14-3 run. The Panthers were only able to muster two more field goals over the final 6 minutes of play, but were able to find some success at the free-throw line, where they made 12 in a row.
Amber Murak led the Panthes with 25 points in the loss. Ella Gettings added 16 and also grabbed 7 rebounds. Dalayla Alexander tallied 14 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals. Raquel Sewell finished with 9points and a team-high 9 rebounds. The Panthers shot a season-high 95% from the charity stripe, making 19 of 20 free throws.
Pitt-Bradford drops to 0-21 on the season, and 0-13 in AMCC play. They will bring their home slate to a close on Wednesday, when they host Penn State-Behrend. The game will be a part of the United Way of Bradford's Youth in Sports Day and will feature a short halftime game between players from the Bradford Youth Girls Basketball Leauge. Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m.
