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Hazleton Area product Mackenzie Yori scored a game-high 18 points, including the go-ahead bucket with 1:51 remaining, as the King’s College women’s basketball team posted a 58-53 victory over visiting Gwynedd Mercy University Thursday night in Scandlon Gymnasium.
King’s improved to 5-2 on the season and matched the team’s victory total from a year ago when the Lady Monarchs suffered through an injury-plagued 5-19 mark. The win was also King’s first at home against Gwynedd Mercy since Dec. 8, 2004.
With Gwynedd leading 50-48, Yori buried a 3-pointer to give King’s a 51-50 lead at the 3:48 mark of the fourth quarter. But Gwynedd countered with a Bianca Adams 3-pointer to go back ahead 53-51 with 2:13 to go.
After a Griffin time out, Yori canned a second straight 3-pointer with 1:51 on the clock to give the Lady Monarchs a 54-53 lead it would not relinquish again.
Yori’s 18 points came on the strength of 6-of-13 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
Holy Redeemer graduate Rebecca Prociak followed with 12 points and 11 rebounds to register her second double-double of the season while Berwick’s Alexis Steeber posted 10 points and five rebounds. Olivia Hoffman, of Wyoming Valley West, overcame early foul trouble and a mid-game injury that limited her to 19 minutes and managed to post six points, nine rebounds, seven blocked shots and four assists.
PSU Schuylkill 61, Wilkes 56
Penn State Schuylkill’s lead grew to as many as 14 points at 23-9 with 8:06 remaining in the second quarter, but Wilkes would finish the half on a 17-4 run to trail 27-26 at halftime. The Lady Colonels were aided by going 8-of-10 from the free-throw line in the half.
Wilkes used a five-point run, with two layups by Emily Sofranko and a free throw by Chelsea Erkes, to take its first lead of the game at 32-31 with 5:52 left in the third quarter. A layup by Campbell off a pass by Maddie Kelley and then two free throws from Gianna Roberts gave the Lady Colonels their biggest lead of the game at 44-40 with 57 seconds left in the third.
Erkes put the Lady Colonels ahead 56-53 with another make from behind the arc with 2:18 left but the Lady Lions closed on a 7-0 run to take the victory 61-56.
Alyssa Alfano led Wilkes with 12 points and she also had six rebounds and three steals. Roberts joined her in double figures with 10 points. She also had three rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Erkes scored a season-high nine points.