Women’s Basketball outlasts Pitt Greensburg in AMCC win

PITTSBURGH --- Carlow University women's basketball held on for a 55-53 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference victory over visiting Pitt Greensburg at Donahue Pavilion Monday night.

Lexi Ewig (Claysville, Pa./McGuffey HS) led the Celtics with a game- and season-high 20 points, with five assists, four steals and three blocks. Josie Horne (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central HS) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Emari Stinnette (Baltimore, Md./Randallstown HS) added 11 points.

An otherwise evenly matched game came down to the final seconds.

Trailing the Celtics 16-10, the Bobcats (1-19, 1-10 AMCC) held Carlow scoreless for over three minutes and went on a 10-3 run to end the first quarter ahead, 20-19. Carlow (3-16, 3-8 AMCC) outscored the Bobcats 19-13 in the second quarter to take a five-point lead into intermission.

Carlow maintained a marginal lead through the third quarter before a trey put Pitt Greensburg up 46-45 with two minutes remaining in the quarter. It was the last time the Celtics would afford the Bobcats an advantage, ahead 48-46 heading into the final quarter.

Neither team scored until three minutes into the quarter when Gia Rosensteel (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem HS) broke the stalemate with an and-one layup.

Both teams went another three scoreless minutes into the quarter, and Carlow held onto its tenuous lead until a last-second jumper saw the Bobcats trailing by two.

A foul to regain possession sent the Celtics to the line where both free throws bounced out, but the three seconds left on the clock were not enough for the Bobcats to tie the game.

Carlow scored 13 points off 18 Pitt Greensburg turnovers, while the Bobcats outscored the Celtics 17-4 off the bench.

Jocelyn Bielak led the Bobcats with a double-double, game-high 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Ca'Mari Walden added 15 points off the bench.

The Celtics host Penn State Altoona for a 7 p.m. AMCC game Feb. 4.