ERIE, PA. — The Hiram College women’s basketball team shot just 22.2 percent for the game as the Terriers fell, 53-43, against Penn State-Behrend in the first game of the PSU-Behrend Tournament in Erie, Pa. [Game Stats]
With the loss, the Terriers fall to 0-2 overall and the Behrend Lions improve to 1-0 overall for the season.
Both teams struggled from the field in a low scoring first half despite five ties and four lead changes. Hiram led for the majority of the first half and recorded its largest lead of five points, 16-11, with three minutes left before halftime on one-of-two free-throws by junior guard Lindsay Buckner (Vienna/Mathews). PSU-Behrend came back to tie the game at 20-20 with under a minute to go, but the Terriers regained the lead and took a slim 22-21 advantage into the locker rooms.
In the second half, the Behrend offense picked up outscoring Hiram, 8-2, to begin the half and take a 29-24 lead with 14:24 left to play. The Terriers answered with an 8-0 scoring run that ended in a jumper by Buckner to pull ahead on the scoreboard, 32-29, at the 11:32 minute mark. But the Lions took control of the game with a 19-7 run on their way to leading by as many as 14 points, 53-39, with 1:51 to play. Hiram tallied the final points of the game, but the deficit was too great as Behrend went to win by the final of 53-43.
Behrend was led in scoring by Holly Bourquin with a game-high 14 points on five-of-eight shooting (62.5 percent). Aly Eagle and Brittany Wilwohl were the other two Lion players in double-figures with 10 points each.
Hiram had one player in double-digits in freshman guard Kelsey Koskinen (Madison) with 10 points on three-of-16 shooting (18.8 percent). Senior All-North Coast Athletic Conference guard Kelsey Durichko (Brunswick) was second with eight points.
Hiram will take on Bethany (W.Va.) College in the consolation game of the PSU-Behrend Tournament on Saturday (Nov. 19) in Erie, Pa. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
