At home opener, Lady Knights fall in tight contest to PSU York
By Hannah Pasquarella
Knightly News Reporter
hannah.pasquarella@mymail.centralpenn.edu
On Tuesday evening at East Pennsboro Middle School, the Lady Knights lost a tough battle during their home opener against Penn State York, falling 61-57.
Before the start of the game, head coach Stasia King emphasized the need for good defense, and the Knights played well defensively during the game, forcing the Lady Lions into 26 turnovers.
Knights guard Sidney Green set the tone by scoring the first points for Central Penn. In the first quarter, the two teams were in a close contest, with Penn State York leading the game 7-5 at the halfway point. Cayla Thomas was able to get to the basket and was sent to the foul line several times in the first quarter. Her free-throw shooting helped keep the Knights in the contest in the first half, with Thomas ultimately finishing 9-10 from the line for the game.
In the second quarter, offensive gears kicked into place as Knights guards Diamond Whitaker and Nyree Roberson-Waters closed the gap, allowing the Knights to take the lead 21-19 at the halfway mark. Over the next few minutes, the Knights traded baskets with Penn State York, highlighted by Green making a tough jump shot, tying the game with less than five minutes left in the second quarter. With the Knights slowly closing the gap at the end of the frame, the second quarter ended with Penn State York leading by only a point, 25-24.
The second half started rocky for the Knights as they picked up several early fouls, letting Penn State York get to the line frequently. But Thomas turned up the heat from behind the arc with a momentous 3-point shot and Central Penn’s defense battled with four straight turnovers and an 8-2 run. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, Roberson-Waters and Thomas closed the gap with a clean 3-pointer and a solid lay-up, though the Knights continued to trail Penn State York, 41-37.
Photo by Nik Hogan
Photo by Nik Hogan
In the fourth quarter, the Knights found themselves in trouble from more fouls, letting Penn State York take a more considerable lead, 45-39. Halfway through the last quarter, Green and center Allison Yoder closed the gap with a swift lay-up and jump-shot, closing the lead Penn State York set.
With two minutes left in the last quarter, Thomas switched gears with a 5-0 run, trimming the lead Penn State York kept throughout the game. Roberson-Waters changed the energy on the court with her 3-point shot with less than a minute on the clock. Fouls made by the Knights led Penn State York to widen the lead by 3 points.
The Knights’ biggest goal in this game was to defend the ball without fouling. Unfortunately, fouls were the biggest struggle for the Central Penn Knights, causing them to lose their first game of the year with a 61-57 score.
Olivia Sell was tremendous for Penn State York, leading the team with 14 points and 18 rebounds. Julianna Lesher added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. It was the Lady Lions’ first game of the season.
The Knightly News Player of the Game was Green, playing all 40 minutes in the game and adding 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Thomas contributed 19 points for Central Penn.
The Lady Knights fell to 2-1 on the young season. On Friday, they will travel to the Penn State Scranton Tip-off Tournament to take on Bryant & Stratton – Syracuse.
The next time the Lady Knights return home is Jan. 11, 2025, versus Five Towns College. Save the date and join us after the holidays!
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.
Edited by Knightly News Media Club co-advisers Professor Paul Miller and Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.
