Crankfield's Double-Double Leads Shenango to PSUAC Victory Over New Kensington
The Penn State Shenango Women's Basketball Team (7-12, 6-8) rode a dominant first quarter and a career night from Alyssa Crankfield to secure a 72-56 victory over Penn State New Kensington at the Buhl Club on Monday evening.
Shenango wasted no time establishing control, erupting for 28 points in the opening ten minutes. Crankfield set the tone early, hitting three triples in the first quarter alone. She finished the game with a stellar double-double, racking up 25 points (including 6-of-15 from beyond the arc) and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Despite a second-quarter surge from New Kensington that cut the lead to two points at the half, Shenango responded with poise. A 21-8 third-quarter run, sparked by the interior play of Gabrielle King, allowed Shenango to pull away for good. King finished with 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting and added 2 blocks on the defensive end.
Point guard Oyin Adio was the engine of the Shenango offense, flirting with a double-double of her own. Adio finished with 11 points and a game-high 8 assists, consistently finding open shooters and managing the transition game. Kayla Owen anchored the middle with 8 points and 6 rebounds, while Shelby McBryar provided a spark off the bench with 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting.
New Kensington kept within striking distance by going 11-of-15 from the free-throw line. However, Shenango's ball movement proved too much to overcome; as Shenango recorded 22 assists on 28 made field goals and out-rebounded the visitors 37-30.
Shenango will look to build on this momentum as they head on the road to face Penn State DuBois this Wednesday, February 11, at 6:00 PM.