Burst of heat lifts Fayette women
If seasons changed directly from winter to summer, it might seem much like Saturday’s performance by the Lady Roaring Lions of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Penn State Fayette (9-7, 8-1) overcame a cold spell at the outset of its home game against Penn State Wilkes-Barre that led to an 11-point deficit with a hot spell that provided a 10-point halftime lead on the way to a 76-57 PSUAC victory.
Wilkes-Barre jumped to a quick 9-1 lead led by six points from Tiaira Brathwaite.
Fayette went almost nine minutes without a field goal, scoring just two free throws each from Caitlin Wontroba and Stephanie Longo plus a single foul shot by Kasey Ruble while falling behind 16-5.
Kaitlyn Novak scored Fayette’s first field goal with 11:07 left in the half. But the Lady Roaring Lions still trailed 21-11 four minutes later.
But after Ruble scored for Fayette, Novak literally fired up the team’s offense by sinking a pair of 3-point baskets and Carly Gruss added a basket as the hosts forged the game’s first tie at 21-21.
After Brathwaite scored for the final Wilkes-Barre lead, Fayette closed the half with a 15-3 run led by another trey from Novak, four baskets by Ruble and single baskets by Shelby Yourchik and Tara Neely to lead 36-26 after 20 minutes.
Wontroba opened the second half with a trey and a free throw as Fayette built a 40-26 lead.
Minutes later, the lead grew to 48-28 on an eight-point run that included four points by Shannon Flament, three points by Ruble and one point from Gruss.
Wilkes-Barre crept within 57-45 late in the half, but Fayette finished the game with a 19-12 run to put the game away.
Tiffany Denny-Rochester scored 18 points for the visitors while Brathwaite and Tiaira Robinson each scored 15. Wilkes-Barre had six players in uniform, and one player fouled out early in the second half.
Ruble led Fayette with 30 points and drew within 13 points of the 1,000 career point plateau. Wontroba added 13 points, while all 11 of Novak’s points came when she ignited the team’s first half comeback.
The Lady Roaring Lions had rallied from a 9-0 early deficit on Friday to defeat Penn State Hazleton 68-58 behind Wontroba’s 19 points and 11 points by Flament.
Fayette coach Kurt Mattern said Novak’s surge played a big part in Saturday’s win and added, “Kasey (Ruble) still drives the bus. She not only had 30 points but also pulled down 14 rebounds which is remarkable for a point guard.”
The Lady Roaring Lions have been playing without junior All-American Jill Guthrie, who suffered a season-ending injury several weeks ago.
“One thing about this team is it’s never complacent,” Mattern said. “(Wilkes-Barre) challenged us and played hard the whole game.”
Fayette visits PS Greater Allegheny on Monday and PS Beaver on Saturday. Mattern said, “Every game is a big game for us since we slipped at Scranton (Fayette’s only conference loss).”