LA ROCHE WOMEN THREE-PEAT, CROWNED AMCC CHAMPIONS

The #1 La Roche University women's basktball team won their 10th overall, and third straight, AMCC women's basketball title, defeating #2 Penn State Behrend 71-70 on Saturday afternoon.

It was a heated first half between the La Roche Redhawks and the Penn State Behrend Lions with the AMCC title on the line. Behrend started out the scoring and held on for a narrow lead throughout most of the first quarter, ending the first with a 14-8 advantage. The Redhawks evened things out in the second as they started the quarter out on a 5-0 run, highlighted by three points from Dasha Jackson, closing in to make the score 14-13 in less than three minutes. The lead exchanged hands multiple times throughout the second quarter with La Roche clinging to a 30-29 lead at the break. Behrend freshman Morgan Altavilla led all scorers in the first half with 12 points, while Alexis Robison paced the Redhawks with eight points.

Behrend took a quick lead coming out of the break with a Rachel Majewski layup. An Altavilla a three and a Brianna Dean layup put the Lions up by six with 7:54 to go in the third. The Redhawks again fought back, taking the lead back at 3:52 on an Robison three-pointer, making the score 48-46. Back-to-back Majewski baskets put the Lions ahead again until a 5-0 run by the Redhawks once again put La Roche in front. La Roche ended the third quarter the same way it ended the second - hanging on to a one-point lead (57-56).

The fourth quarter remained tight, with mutliple lead changes and no team leading by more than three points. A Machia Hairston layup with 1:24 left in the game gave La Roche a 69-66 advantage. Altavilla connected on a layup 20 seconds later to bring the Lions within one. Brianna Dean hit a jumper for Behrend with :15 left to play, putting the Lions up 70-69. La Roche came out of the timeout, finding Hairston open, as she hit a layup with just seven seconds left on the clock. Behrend got one more chance, but a shot inside the paint with one second remaining didn't fall, as the Redhawks held on for the slim 71-70 win and the 2023 AMCC title. 

Hairston recorded game-highs with 24 points and 17 rebounds, while Robison poured in 22 points. Altavilla led the Lions with 22 points. 

La Roche will receive the conference's automatic bid to the national tournament. Pairings will be released on Monday.

All-Tournament Team
Machia Hairston, La Roche
Alexis Robison, La Roche
Rachel Majewski, Penn State Behrend
Morgan Altavilla, Penn State Behrend
Sidney McCully, Pitt-Greensburg
Ashley Schroeder, Hilbert College
Jordan Bisignani, Penn St. Altoona
China Jenkins, Mount Aloysius College