WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's women's basketball team held off a late-game surge by Penn College in a 53-50 United East Conference victory on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 4.


Jordan Carpenter and Giahny Correa both tallied 13 points each against the Wildcats, the duo shooting 54 percent from the field. Correa chipped in a team-high five assists, while Carpenter grabbed nine rebounds and had four helpers of her own. Ali Lister, Lauren Moffatt, and Sam Shaak all contributed six points apiece.


Penn State Harrisburg (9-4, 3-2 United East) held a slight 16-15 edge over Penn College (6-7, 3-1 United East) after the first quarter before the visiting Lions went on vital 8-0 run early on in the second frame. Correa and Carpenter sparked the burst with back-to-back layups in the paint before Norma Thornbill netted a wide-open layup and banked home an attempt from the elbow in succession to cap the run.


The third quarter was deadlocked, as both squads racked up 12 points each. With Penn State Harrisburg leading 46-38 going into the last frame, the two teams traded baskets until the Wildcats put together a timely run of their own. Penn College's Rachel Teats provided a 6-0 run to tie the contest up 50-50, with a pair of jumpers and a clutch backdoor layup courtesy of Emily Pardee.


With 18 seconds left in the game, Correa was able to shed a pair of Penn College defenders and banked home a 12-foot floater to put the visitors up 52-50. Although the shot clock was unplugged and the Wildcats had a final chance to tie the game, it was Penn State Harrisburg's Carpenter who stepped up big to take a charge on the defensive end before sinking a free throw for good measure before the final buzzer.


NOTABLES
- Carpenter and Correa were identical from the field, as they both shot 6-of-11 en route to 13 points apiece. Correa also led the team with five assists, while Carpenter had four helpers of her own and was just short of a double-double with nine rebounds.
- Lister tallied six points, five rebounds, and four assists.
- Moffatt and Shaak both added six points each.
- Penn College's Rachel Teats had a game-high 23 points on her way to scoring her 1,000th career point with the Wildcats.
- The Lions shot 42 percent from the field, while impressing at the foul line with an 87.5 percentage.


WHO'S NEXT?
Penn State Harrisburg has a quick turnaround, as they travel to Lancaster Bible on Monday, Jan. 6 for another conference contest at 6 p.m.


STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.