LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University women's basketball team (5-3, 2-1 PSAC) returns home this weekend for a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchups, meeting the Clarion University Golden Eagles (2-7, 0-3 PSAC) on Friday at 1 p.m. before facing off against the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats (7-2, 2-1 PSAC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
RECAP:
- The Bald Eagles knocked off Carlow in a dominating win this past Sunday (Dec 15.), downing the Celtics 77 - 31 at Donahue Pavilion in Pittsburgh.
- Freshman Marena Lonardi (Elizabethtown, Pa. / Elizabethtown) led the Lock Haven offense, notching 20 points against Carlow to push her team-leading season total to 107 points (13.4/game). Lonardi now sits second among all PSAC freshman in scoring.
- Rileigh Devine (Etters, Pa. / Red Land) and Bink Redman (York, Pa. / William Penn) recorded points in the double-digits as well, tallying 13 and 11 points respectively. Redman added 10 rebounds to mark her second double-double of the season.
- Jaynelle Robinson (Williamsport, Pa. / Williamsport (Monroe CC)), who was named the PSAC East Women's Basketball Defensive Athlete of the Week, recorded a season-high four blocks against Carlow while adding nine points and nine rebounds. Robinson currently leads the PSAC with 86 rebounds and an average of 10.8 a game, and sits sixth in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (5.0) and is tied for 16th place in rebounds per game with 10.8.
THE SERIES:
- Last season, Lock Haven edged out Clarion 74 - 72 thanks to a second half comeback at Thomas Fieldhouse in Lock Haven. Four different Bald Eagles recorded points in the double digits as LHU grabbed the win in the final minute of action.
- LHU last met Pitt-Johnstown on Dec. 9, 2017, when the Mountain Cats topped the Bald Eagles 56 – 34 in Lock Haven. Despite the loss, LHU outrebounded the Mountain Cats 47-32 over the course of the game and forced 15 turnovers.
SCOUTING CLARION:
- The Golden Eagles have struggled this season, going 2-7 overall and 0-3 in PSAC play, dropping conference matchups to Kutztown, West Chester, and East Stroudsburg.
- Clarion last hit the court nearly two weeks ago (Dec 7.) when they fell to East Stroudsburg 53 – 74 on the road. The Golden Eagles kept it close for most of the first half, but the Warriors ran away with the lead in the second half to seal out the win.
- Junior Ke'Airah Massiah leads the team with 90 points, averaging 10.0 a game, while recording a .364 field goal percentage. On defense, sophomore Jada Smith has led the charge, recording 72 rebounds (8.0/game) this season, second in the PSAC only to Lock Haven's own Jaynelle Robinson (77). Smith has also marked six blocks and 18 steals this year, both team-bests.
SCOUTING PITT-JOHNSTOWN:
- Pitt-Johnstown has seen a strong start to the season, going 7-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play. Before their last matchup, the Mountain Cats were riding a five-game win streak which included wins over PSAC rivals East Stroudsburg and Kutztown.
- The last time Pitt-Johnstown hit the court was on Dec 7., when they fell to Bloomsburg 51 - 64 in Bloomsburg. Despite an impressive 23-point performance from senior Alli McGrath, the Mountain Cats were unable to top the Huskies.
- The Mountain Cats will head to Shippensburg for a meeting with the Raiders before traveling to Lock Haven for Saturday afternoon's matchup.
- The senior duo of Gabrielle Smith and Alli McGrath have propelled Pitt-Johnstown's offense, tallying 170 (18.9/game) and 132 (22.0/game) points respectively. Smith is also a standout defensively, recording 10 steals and a team-best 10 blocks. Freshman Olivia Fasick has marked 27 steals for the Mountain Cats, which leads the PSAC.
UP NEXT: The Bald Eagles return to action in the new year, hitting the road to face No. 13 Indiana University of Pennsylvania at the Kovalchick Complex in Indiana, Pa. on Jan. 3, 2020, with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.
