Lions improve to 6-5 with wins over Lehigh Valley and Scranton

Hazleton, Pa. - Penn State Hazleton Women's Basketball was back in the win column this week with wins over Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State Scranton. Hazleton pulled out a thrilling victory on Tuesday at home versus Lehigh Valley with first year player Lillian Whitenight cashing in two free throws with less than one second on the clock as Hazleton pulled out a 47-45 upset. Later in the week, the Lions cruised past Penn State Scranton on Friday by the score of 79-46 to vault themselves back into the playoff chase with a 6-5 record in the PSUAC. 

Tuesday, January 21: Penn State Lehigh Valley 45, Penn State Hazleton 47 - Final

Hazleton trailed early in this one, but ramped up their defensive effort in the second quarter, shutting out the Lehigh Valley squad over the ten minute stretch to carry a 25-20 advantage into the halftime break. Hazleton held a lead by the slimmest of margins throughout the third and fourth quarters as both teams traded blows to the finish line. But late in the game, Lehigh Valley connected on two triples and lay up to tie the score at 45-45. Both teams would come up empty from the field down the stretch and a missed opportunity in the paint gave Hazleton the final possession with less than ten seconds to play. Second year Brianna Kennedy found Whitenight on the baseline and Whitenight was fouled in the act, trying to get off a last second shot. The first year player sunk the first of two free throws to reclaim the lead with .5 seconds on the clock, then connected on the second and with little time remaining, Lehigh Valley was unable to get off a last ditch effort from mid-court. 

The win was Hazleton's first victory over Lehigh Valley since the 2016 postseason. Kennedy led the Lions with 14 points and eight rebounds in the win, with first year Frankie Martinelli adding 13 points that included three triples on the night. Whitenight and first year Aislinn Chaffin added eight and nine points respectively with fourth Azaria Johnson pitching in with a game-high 10 rebounds and six assists. 

Friday, January 24: Penn State Scranton 46, Penn State Hazleton 79 - Final

The Nittany Lions scored over 20 points in each of the first three quarters on Friday night to build up a healthy lead over the Scranton squad. Hazleton out-shot their opponents by shooting 51 percent from the field and won the turnover battle by a margin of 12, nabbing 15 steals collectively as the cruised to the finish line. No one could stop Brianna Kennedy on Friday night as she dominated the box score for a season-high 33 points. Kennedy went 14-for-22 from the field and added 12 rebounds and five assists to the delight of Hazleton fans. Eight Hazleton players in total pitched in with scores Friday night with Johnson, Whitenight and Chaffin filling up the stat sheet in multiple categories. Johnson totaled 15 points with four assists and five steals, while Chaffin registered nine points with six rebounds and five assists. Whitenight rounded off the top performers on the night with seven points, six boards and five dimes. 

Hazleton will look to keep trending in the right direction next week when the Lions face off with Penn State Schuylkill on Tuesday, January 28, followed by a rematch from the fall semester against Penn State Wilkes-Barre on Friday, January 31. Both games with be on the road next week, tipping off at 6:00 p.m.