GREENSBURG, Pa. - La Roche women's basketball defeated Pitt Greensburg on the road in the AMCC Game of the Week Wednesday evening, 70-67. Since number two Hilbert lost to Penn St. Behrend Wednesday night 67-64, the Redhawks have officially clinched the AMCC regular season title and the number one seed in the conference tournament. The Redhawks will receive a bye before playing in the semi-finals on Friday, February 28th. The Championship game will be played on Saturday, February 29th. Both games will be played at the Kerr.
Head Coach Kamela Gissendanner has won the AMCC regular season championship every single year she has been at La Roche, that's good for seven titles. (2013-2017, 2019-2020). Gissendanner is an impeccable 117-10 (.921) in regular season conference play in her tenure at La Roche.
Ayanna Mazyck scored 16 of her season-high 22 points in the first half of tonight's game. She added four assists, three rebounds and a steal.
Dasja Anderson posted 11 points and eight rebounds while shooting an efficient 5 of 8 (63%) from the field.
Jenna Cole added 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Cole has scored 10 or more points in 14 straight games.
Final: La Roche: 70, Pitt Greensburg: 67
Records: La Roche (17-6, AMCC: 17-2), Pitt Greensburg (16-9, AMCC: 14-6)
How it Happened
Pitt Greensburg Nadege Durand hit the opening two shots to give the Bobcats an early 5-0 lead. At the 5:58 mark of the first quarter, Ayanna Mazyck hit a mid-range jumper to give La Roche their first lead of the game up 9-8. After allowing UPG knock down a 3-PT, the Redhawks produced a 7-0 run to go up by five. They would retain their lead and ended the first ahead 21-16.
The host team tied La Roche twice in the first five minutes of the second before the Redhawks went on a 13-5 run to build their cushion to eight points, their largest of the game thus far. LRU led 41-36 at the break. Ayanna Mazyck scored eight points in each of the first two quarters.
The Bobcats started off the third on another 5-0 run to tie the game 41-41. After a Sidney Farmer 3-PT, the Redhawks went back up by five near the half way mark of the quarter. Pitt Greensburg then went on a 12-2 run to end the third, their largest run of the game, to take 57-52 lead after three.
UPG hit the first shot of the fourth to build their cushion to seven points before La Roche took over. The Redhawks snapped for an 11-0 run powered by back-to-back three pointers from Jenna Cole to regain the lead in a little under three minutes. The Bobcats made it a one point game with less than two minutes remaining but that's as close as they got. Dasja Anderson sealed the deal with a layup to put the Redhawks up three with less than 30 seconds on the clock. Diamond-Jay (DJ) Whittington came down with the defensive rebound after UPG's last attempt to run out the clock.
Inside the Box Score
Off the bench, Sidney Farmer scored nine points in nine minutes, shooting a perfect 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Shaundrea Butler dished out a season-high 10 assists and added five steals, five rebounds and four points. As a unit, La Roche dished out 20 assists, tied for their third highest mark on the season.
The Redhawks knocked down 11 of 27 (37.9%) three pointers, their second most made threes in a game this season.
La Roche was outscored 21-11 in the third but bounced back and outscored the Bobcats 18-10 in the fourth.
LRU attempted just four free throws, tied for their season low.
Pitt Greensburg won the battle of the boards, 38-33.
Four Bobcats finished in double-digit figures led by Colleen Murphy (17).
NEXT UP: Women's basketball plays their final regular season game this Saturday, February 22nd at the Kerr against Alfred St. The Redhawks sole senior, Jenna Cole, will be recognized in a ceremony shortly before the 3:00 p.m. tip-off time.