Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Lady Pioneers break losing streak

With 19 minutes left in the second half, junior center Joncelyn Peterkin went up for a defensive rebound. When she landed, she rolled her ankle and had to sit out the rest of Tuesday. Jan. 18 Pioneer women’s basketball conference game against Roberts Wesleyan College.  Peterkin returned with six rebounds the next game and 15 more in a Point Park University win over Wilberforce University on Saturday, Jan. 22.The Pioneers broke their four game losing streak with a 63-52 win over Wilberforce, giving the team a record of 11-8 overall and 3-5 in the American Mideast Conference (AMC).  The streak included conference losses to Daemen College, Cedarville University and Mt. Vernon Nazarene University. Collectively, these teams are 19-4 in conference play while Wilberforce University is 1-6.”The key to our success so far has been playing together on one page and executing offensively and defensively,” said senior guard Ashley Henderson.Henderson had her second double-double this season against Wilberforce with 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Her first came in a loss to Robert Wesleyan where she had 15 points and a career high of 13 rebounds. Henderson had to step it up that game because of Peterkin’s injury.  Peterkin averages eight-point-two rebounds per game and 11.1 points per game.  Peterkin’s performance against Wilberforce tied her career high of 15 rebounds and seven blocks.  It was also her fourth double-double of the season with 15 points.”Our biggest struggle in the conference is putting together two complete twenty minute halves, from start to finish, playing with the same intensity within our system of basketball,” said April Austin, sophomore guard. Austin was the high scorer in the game against Wilberforce with 19 points, including hitting three big three-point shots.  One 3 gave the Pioneers their first lead in the game with scores showing 13-12 and another to give the Pioneers a demanding lead of 60-50 with less than four minutes left in the game.  This is an improvement for the former all-state player from Pittsburgh’s North Catholic High School who totaled only 26 points in her previous four games.”We are able to compete with anyone as long as we put a complete game together and not lose focus of our team goals set by [Head] Coach Sam [Kosanovich],” said Austin.Point Park was able to refocus in their game against Wilberforce and a mere managed 11 turnovers.  This was a turnaround for the Pioneers, who averaged 21 turnovers in each of their previous two games against Roberts Wesleyan and Mt. Vernon Nazarene.  The team also had a season high of nine total blocks. Seven came from Peterkin with junior guard/forward Kristen Veseleny and sophomore forward Anna-Maria Boshkova each having one.  Peterkin  has accumulated a career total of 104 blocks since her cross-town transfer from Carlow University in Oakland.  This is the fourth highest in Point Park history, and the lead of 123 is held by Lori Bradfield, who played with the Pioneers in two consecutive seasons from 1995 to 1997.The Pioneers’ next two games will have a home court advantage for the team and both are conference games of great significance if the team plans on making the AMC championship tournament.  The first game is Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. against Malone University, who is 1-7 in conference play.  The second is Saturday, Jan. 29 at 1 p.m. against Ohio’s Notre Dame College, who 7-1 in the AMC.  There will be fan vans provided for both games and more information can be found on the women’s basketball page of Point Park’s website.  

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