Women’s Basketball staves off fourth quarter push in win over Pitt Bradford

BRADFORD, Pa. --- A strong second quarter helped lift Carlow University women's basketball to a 65-59 victory over Pitt Bradford in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference action Wednesday night.

The Celtics (5-5, 3-0 AMCC) forced 26 Panthers turnovers on the night and outscored Pitt Bradford (2-8, 1-3 AMCC) 19-8 in the second quarter.

Emiley Hillgartner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin HS) led Carlow with 13 points off the bench and dished out a game-high five assists, and Emma Aubrey (Bristol, Tenn./Sullivan East HS) landed four of Carlow's 10 three-pointers for 12 points.

Nina Cano (Greenville, Pa./Greenville HS/Grove City College) and Sydney Carr (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin HS) each recorded double-doubles. Carr scored 11 points with 10 rebounds, and Cano added 10 points and 14 boards. Carr picked up five steals, and Emari Stinnette (Baltimore, Md./Randallstown HS) contributed 10 points and two blocks.

The Panthers took an 8-3 lead to start the game, and Cano broke up a three-minute scoring stalemate with a layup to see Carlow trailing by three. Pitt Bradford pulled ahead before Gia Rosensteel (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem HS) landed a three-pointer to put Carlow within three points once again.

Cano scored the Celtics' final two buckets of the quarter to give Carlow its first lead of the game, 12-11, heading into the second. The Celtics outscored the Panthers 19-8 in the second quarter behind Aubrey's three treys to take a 31-19 advantage into halftime.

As the Pitt Bradford defense adjusted to Carr and Cano, Hillgartner erupted and scored all her points in the second half. Carlow pushed its lead to 19 points in the third quarter and maintained a double-figure lead into the fourth.

Trailing 50-34, the Panthers went on a 15-3 run to cut Carlow's lead to four midway through the fourth quarter. Hillgartner broke a two-minute scoring draught with a layup at 2:31, and Pitt Bradford was forced to foul as time dwindled off the clock. The Celtics scored their final six points of the game at the foul line.

Both teams recorded 53 rebounds each. Carlow outscored Pitt Bradford 18-8 off the bench, and the Panthers outscored the Celtics, 26-18, in the paint.

Paige Gratto led the Panthers with a game-high 24 points and 12 rebounds. Avery Benzel added 16 points in the effort.

The Celtics host Mount Aloysius College for a 4 p.m. AMCC game at Donahue Pavilion Saturday.