Point Park gets big home win over Ohio Christian to start final week of regular season

PITTSBURGH -- Point Park University women's basketball earned a much-needed win over Ohio Christian University, 97-79, on Tuesday night from CCAC-Allegheny. The Pioneers (17-8, 10-6 RSC) evened the season series with the Trailblazers (19-8, 10-6 RSC) and pulled even in the River States Conference East Division standings with one game to go. 

With an earlier loss at Ohio Christian, 88-72, on Jan. 30, Point Park returned the favor on Tuesday night at home.

Gabriella Legister put up a huge game of 24 points and 10 rebounds on 10 for 11 shooting. It was a big return to the lineup for the 6-2 post player after missing her first game of the season last Saturday at Alice Lloyd (Ky.).

Gillian Piccolino continued her scoring pace with 23 points and eight assists. Aichata Ballot matched her Point Park career high of 18 points off the bench while Ari Bleda added 15 points.

It didn't look great for the Pioneers early as they trailed 21-11 midway through the first quarter. Point Park responded by scoring 20 of the next 22 points and never trailed again. That extended run spanned the end of the first and the start of the second quarter and eventually had Point Park ahead, 31-23, with 5:39 before the half. 

After scoring the final six points of the first quarter, Point Park kept the run going in the second. Big plays in the second quarter were Ballo driving in for a layup, feeding Legister for an inside look and then hitting a jumper. Ballo had 14 points in the first half and tied a season high with 18 on the night.

The run continued with Piccolino getting a steal and a breakaway layup, hitting a 3-pointer and then lobbing an assist in to Legister for an easy basket. Whe the dust settled on the spurt it, was a 20-2 run in all. 

Point Park was up 43-34 at the half and kept the pedal down. With 26 points in the second quarter, the Pioneers kept that pace with 27 in each of the third and fourth quarters. A 9-2 spurt to start the third had the Pioneers ahead, 52-37.

The Pioneers were still up 15 on Piccolino's 3-point play, 70-55, late in the third. 

Ohio Christian had some big scorers with Haley Cox getting 31 points and Emma Koons addding 20 points and 10 rebounds. Those two brought the Trailblazers back to within 79-71 at the 5:25 mark of the fourth.

Piccolino answered with a 3-pointer, which started a big push by the Pioneers to put the game away. Piccolino then fed Legister and Pavelek for layups to continue the surge. Bleda knocked down a 3-pointer off yet another assist by Piccolino to stretch it out to the biggest lead of the night, 93-73.

Point Park won the rebounding, 48-43, with Fatim Sarr Ndow leading the effort with 12 boards and six points in only 13 minutes off the bench.

Point Park entered Tuesday night's game on a losing stretch, but the Pioneers came up big on their home court, where they are now 13-1 on the year. With a Senior Night matchup coming up Friday versus WVU Tech (5:00 p.m.), Point Park could chart a playoff path a home with a big finish. 

The Pioneers are vying for playoff positioning in a crowded conference race, especially in the RSC East. After first-place Rio Grande (Ohio) (16-0 RSC), Point Park (10-6 RSC), Ohio Christian (10-6 RSC) and Shawnee State (Ohio) (10-6) are all tied. The top four seeds of the overall 10 teams that make the RSC Championship will host quarterfinal playoff games Feb. 28.