The No. 3 Allegheny College (19-8) women's basketball team defeated No. 2 Penn State Behrend (21-7) 71-61 in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon in the Junker Center.
The Gators had all five starters with double-figure points to advance to the ECAC semifinals tomorrow against No. 1 McDaniel. Sarah Santicola registered 10 points and pulled down 14 boards, while Emily Lauer posted a team-best 17 points. For the Lions, Madilyn Boyer tied a career high with 24 points. Alaina Fabin and Alexis Furyes each registered 10 rebounds.
In a game of runs, Allegheny erased a five-point deficit with a 13-3 spurt to end the first quarter for a 23-18 lead. Behrend answered with a 12-4 run to regain the lead at 30-27 with 4:49 remaining in the second quarter. The Gators responded with a 14-4 run for an eight-point advantage at 41-34 by halftime. Allegheny never relinquished the lead in the second half, despite the Lions outscoring the Gators 16-12 in the third quarter.
Allegheny shot 44.8 percent from the floor while Behrend has been held under 40 percent shooting for the second straight game. Morgan Altavilla added 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. The Lions conclude their season at 21-7 overall.