The Penn State Behrend (19-8) women's basketball team fell 71-55 to 11th-ranked Catholic University (26-2) in the first round of the NCAA Championships on Friday night.
The Cardinals were able to take a 13-point lead at halftime and hold off the fighting Lions in the second half to advance in the tournament. The difference in the game was Catholic outmatching Behrend on the boards with a 57-33 advantage in rebounds. The Lions had six out of eight players who played register points. Sophomore guard Morgan Altavilla led Behrend with 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior guard Rachel Majewski added 12 points, while Alexis Furyes had a team-best 10 boards and four blocks. There was three points that separated the Lions and the Cardinal's in the second half.
Behrend started off with a 7-0 run behind five points from Altavilla. The Lions grew the lead to nine points at 13-4 with a Majewski jumper at the 5:11 mark. Catholic closed out the first quarter on a 16-5 run for a 20-15 lead after the first 10 minutes. The Cardinals grew a double-digit lead in the first minute of the second quarter to stay out front. Behrend managed to score 20 points off 17 turnovers while committing 13 turnovers. Julie Balaski making her first collegiate start, added six points and five rebounds.
The Lions conclude their season with a 19-8 overall record