SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Penn State Schuylkill men’s basketball head coach Travis Williams did not watch his team’s defense claim a victory over Penn State Fayette on Saturday at the Health and Wellness Building.
But Williams’ defense nearly got the Penn State Schuylkill women a victory.
Using a formation suggested by Williams, the Lady Lions rallied from a 15-point deficit to grab a second-half lead before falling 70-68 to Penn State Fayette in a Penn State University Athletic Conference contest.
Freshman guard Hayley Moreland’s 14-foot, one-handed runner from the lane with 2 seconds remaining gave Fayette the victory.
In the men’s game, Fayette scored 20 straight points early in the second half to pull away for a 99-67 PSUAC triumph, the victors’ ninth consecutive win.
“They gave it everything, but they lost it on a ... one-hand fling-up at the end,” Penn State Schuylkill interim women’s head coach Darle Cresswell said of his team’s comeback. “I give (Fayette) credit, though. They made the shot when they had to.”
The Penn State Fayette women appeared ready to easily end their two-game losing streak by dominating the first half behind nine points by Kelsey Laurine and 10 rebounds by 6-foot center Kaitlin Miller. Sinking six 3-pointers in the first half, the visiting Lady Roaring Lions (5-9, 5-1 PSUAC) scored 16 of the game’s first 20 points and then led twice by 15 points.
Penn State Schuylkill (4-5, 2-5) eliminated the gap when it went to the “star” defense, a matchup zone that Williams described to Cresswell, who then taught it to his squad.
“Our three people match up with two people in the lane,” Cresswell said. “We wanted to take the ball out of the hands of their shooters. That was the big thing. It gives us some help on defense in the paint.”
The host Lady Lions played Williams’ defense so well that he had to laugh afterward. “He (Cresswell) made all of those girls come up (to me) and say that I was a genius,” Williams said. “I hate to say that because they didn’t come up with the victory. That girl made a really tough shot at the end.”
A bucket by Tessa Dolce gave Penn State Schuylkill its last lead at 68-66 with 1:21 remaining. Two free throws by Laurine with 59 seconds left tied the game.
Fayette regained possession on a turnover with 21 seconds left and worked the clock until Moreland drove into the lane to make the winning shot. Having to go the length of the court, Penn State Schuylkill was unable to attempt a shot in the remaining 2 seconds.
Moreland finished with 16 points to lead Penn State Fayette. Dolce posted 18 points and 10 rebounds for Schuylkill, while teammates Samantha Cook and Caitria Bowen added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Schuylkill also lost Colleen Druby to injury when she suffered a cut above her left eye in the first half and not return.
In the men’s game, Schuylkill (1-10, 1-6 PSUAC) sped out to an early lead for the second straight game and held a 19-14 edge with 10:44 left in the first half. Fayette rallied to tie the game at 21 and then built a 10-point halftime lead at 46-36.
Schuylkill cut the margin to 48-42 with 2:11 elapsed in the second half, but that’s when Fayette (12-3, 8-0) turned the game into a rout with its 20-point run.
Sophomore guard Luke Williams scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half to spark Fayette.
Noting his team missed numerous layups, Penn State Schuylkill’s Travis Williams said, “I definitely feel we can play with anybody. It’s just that response. Our fight-or-flight is tainted. We’re not ready for a fight, and every basketball game is a fight. At this level, I think a team raises its intensity and we’re not responding to that intensity.”
Senior Brandon Cunningham had 22 points for Fayette. Beneiko Harris tallied 18 to lead Schuylkill, while Genaro Epifanio and William Bracey added 11 and 10, respectively.
The Penn State Schuylkill men return to the court at 1 p.m. today to host Penn State New Kensington in another PSUAC game. The Schuylkill women return to action Thursday when they visit Harrisburg Community College.
Game Summaries
PENN STATE FAYETTE (70) — Rudolph 5 0-1 12, Haines 5 2-6 13, Moreland 6 4-4 16, Halapy 1 0-0 2, Flament 4 0-0 8, Laurine 4 2-2 13, Doaks 0 0-0 0, Miller 3 0-0 6. Totals 28 8-13 70.
PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL (68) — Moyer 1 2-7 4, Celani 2 0-0 4, Grasso 2 0-1 6, Druby 3 0-0 7, Blasko 2 2-2 6, Bowen 4 2-2 10, Lomax 0 0-0 0, Dolce 6 6-10 18, Cook 6 0-1 13. Totals 26 12-23 68.
Fayette (5-9, 5-1) 38 32 — 70 Schuylkill (4-5, 2-5) 26 42 — 68
3-point FGs: Rudolph 2, Haines, Laurine 3, Grasso 2, Druby, Cook
PENN STATE FAYETTE (99) — Williams 6 6-8 21, Gaddis 1 0-0 2, Jackson 3 5-7 11, Bronder 6 3-4 15, Cunningham 6 8-8 22, Waters 0 1-2 1, Smoggie 0 0-0 0, McKenna 8 2-4 21, Bristol 1 0-0 2, Henderson 1 0-0 2, Jenkins 1 0-0 2. Totals 33 25-33 99.
PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL (67) — Tinsley 1 0-2 2, Yost 1 2-3 4, Bracey 5 0-2 10, Greene 1 0-0 3, Colteste 1 1-2 3, Epifanio 4 2-2 11, Okore 2 3-7 7, Butler 3 1-2 9, Harris 6 6-7 18, Bubeck 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 15-25 67.
Fayette (12-3, 8-0) 46 53 — 99 Schuylkill (1-10, 1-6) 36 30 — 67
3-point FGs: Williams 3, Cunningham 2, McKenna 3, Greene, Epifanio, Butler 2