Late Comeback Falls Short For Women's Basketball

The Wells College women's basketball team charged back from a double-digit deficit in the final quarter but didn't complete the comeback effort and Penn State-Abington won 71-64 on Saturday, Jan. 21 at Abington, Pa.

Wells stands at 4-7 overall and 3-4 in the North Eastern Athletic Conference. Penn State-Abington is 8-6 overall and 6-3 in the NEAC. Wells returns to action Sunday, Jan. 22 at Bryn Athyn College at noon.

Penn State-Abington led 15-7 after the first quarter but Wells fought back and took the lead in the second quarter. The Express used a huge run and went from trailing 15-4 to taking a 26-24 lead with 3:01 left in the second quarter. Abington scored the last 10 points of the quarter to hold an eight-point halftime lead.

The host Nittany Lions extended the lead to 13 points after three quarters as Abington led 52-39.

Wells battled back in the fourth quarter and reduced the Abington lead to four points with 1:38 remaining. The Express got the ball back with a chance to bring the game within a single possession but couldn't convert. Abington made free throws down the stretch to account for the final margin. The Express outscored Penn State-Abington 25-19 in the fourth quarter.

Ashida Cooper scored 39 points for the Express, one shy of her previous single-game best of 40 points established earlier this year at Cazenovia. Cooper made 16 field goals, with just one 3-pointer. She was 6-for-8 at the free-throw line. Cooper added 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the year and had five steals and three assists. She scored 15 straight Wells points in the second-quarter surge.

Kamarie Maturine led Wells with 14 rebounds and added seven points. Shelby Medovich had 12 points

Wells held a 50-39 rebounding advantage in the game. All five of Penn State-Abington's starters scored in double figures. The Nittany Lions were 24-for-31 at the free-throw line.