Point Park women's basketball outlasts NCAA DII West Virginia State, 75-73

PITTSBURGH -- Aichata Ballo scored a go-ahead layup with five seconds left, and Point Park University women's basketball proceeded to make a big defensive stand to earn a 75-73 home win over NCAA Division II program West Virginia State on Saturday, Dec. 16. 

Point Park improved to 8-3 on the year and tied a season-best with its fourth victory in a row. The Pioneers extended their home winning streak to 10 games in a row dating back to Senior Day and a home playoff victory last year. 

The Pioneers and West Virginia State (5-5, 3-3 Mountain East) were engaged in a tough battle all day, one that went back and fourth for 40 minutes. There were eight ties and six lead changes throughout the afternoon. 

WVSU took its biggest lead of 71-66 on a 3-point play by Zakorrah Russel with 2:58 remaining. That was after Point Park had a lead of 42-34 at the half and then scored the first five points of the third quarter for its largest lead of 47-34 at the 8:38 mark of the third. 

But the Pioneers found themselves down by two possessions with under three minutes to play in the ballgame. After a layup by Point Park's Ari Bleda cut into the lead, teammate Emma Pavelek made a steal and then hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 71-71. 

The Point Park defense then forced a couple of missed shots, but a third-chance basket by Anysa Jordan but the Yellow Jackets ahead with 43 seconds left. 

That's when Ballo, who finished with 13 points and five assists off the bench, made the first of her two clutch baskets. The first tied the game at 73-73. On the other end, Gabriella Legister rejected a shot with Bleda getting the rebound with 11 seconds remaining.

After a Point Park timeout, Ballo drove in for the eventual winning points. Point Park then got another defensive stop, which was created by Legister standing tall in the lane and Fatim Sarr Ndow tying up the Yellow Jackets for a steal. A final inbound by the Pioneers clinched the win. 

Gillian Piccolino led all players with 23 points for the Pioneers. She had a hot-shooting day making 9 of 15 from the floor and 4 for 9 from beyond the arc. Three of those treys came in the first half as she powered the Pioneers to the lead. She came up big late in the third quarter as well with a pair of buckets in a row to keep the Pioneers up, 55-52, after three. 

Legister finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for yet another double-double on the year. The 6-2 center made an inside basket to end the first half. That put the Pioneers up by eight after a couple of 3-pointers by WVSU cut down an 11-point lead moments earlier. 

A pressing defense with a roster using 13 players who subbed five at a time, WVSU presented a big challenge for the Pioneers. The Yellow Jackets nearly came away with a win by getting the Pioneers at the end. But Point Park came through with some big plays to come out on top.

Point Park is now 1-1 versus NCAA Division II teams with an earlier loss to Malone (Ohio). Point Park has one more non-conference game at home this coming Tuesday, Dec. 19 versus Cleary (Mich.). The NAIA non-conference matchup tips off at 1:00 p.m. at CCAC-Allegheny. That's the last game before getting back into RSC action in early January.