The women’s basketball team stayed busy this break, facing six opponents over the three-week pause in academics.

The first game for the Pioneers was their River States Conference (RSC) season opener just across the city at Carlow.

Point Park got up to a 37-29 lead at the half, but a 25-14 run by the Celtics in the third quarter gave them a 54-51 edge over the Pioneers heading into the final ten minutes.

Both teams pulled out some big shots in the final few minutes, but Point Park was unable to gain the lead after the Celtics’ big third quarter run. The Pioneers took their first RSC loss 76-67.

The women bounced back the following day at CCAC – Allegheny, when they hosted Washington Adventist for a 74-65 win.

Four Pioneers ended the matchup in double digits: Michelle Burns with 20 points, Baylie Mook with 16 points, Taylor Kirschner with 13 points and Taylor Rinn, who posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

With a 1-1 record on the break, the Pioneers waited six days before heading to West Virginia for another RSC game against WVU Tech, who is receiving votes in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Top-25 Poll.

The game was back and forth throughout the first three quarters, ending those 30 minutes tied at 43.

The Golden Bears outshot the Pioneers 28-19 in the final quarter, putting them over Point Park 71-62.

Senior Tyra James led the effort from beyond the arc, scoring 15 points and sinking four of seven 3-pointers.

After their second RSC loss, Point Park looked to secure its first conference win three days later while hosting Rio Grande.

The RedStorm held a small lead of 39-38 at the half, but came out of the locker room with a 13-4 rally that eventually led to a 61-52 lead after three quarters.

The Pioneers responded with a 12-4 run of their own to start the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 77-74 with 2:48 remaining.

Despite that run, Point Park found itself on the wrong end of a last-minute rally, falling 83-76 and still looking for that first RSC win.

Burns led all scorers with 22 points, 12 of which came in the form of 3-pointers. Rinn followed her up with 14 points, and freshman Lexi Petit added ten of her own.

The RedStorm led in both shooting percentage (73-percent to 52-percent) and rebounds (49-36).

After their last RSC matchup, the Pioneers traveled to Buffalo for a non-conference game against Bryant & Stratton-Buffalo.

Point Park outscored the Bobcats in every quarter except the fourth, when the Pioneers were held to just nine.

The Pioneers held a lead the entire game, but the Bobcats got as close as 77-71 in the final few minutes.

Bryant & Stratton outscored Point Park 32-9 in the final quarter, but the Pioneers’ work early in the game helped to solidify an 82-79 win.

Rinn had a game-high 23 points and later completed the double-double with 18 rebounds.

Three other Pioneers finished with double-digits. Petit added 19 points and Kirschner scored 18, making a trifecta of freshmen to lead Point Park’s scoring efforts. The final double-digit scorer with Burns, who added ten.

Point Park’s final game of the break came against another Bryant & Stratton team, but this time, but was Bryant & Stratton-Rochester at CCAC-Allegheny.

Another difference: this time it was after an 11-day break, and it was 2020.

It was another back and forth battle for both teams, coming down to the final seconds.

The Pioneers trailed 38-26 early in the third quarter, but a buzzer-beater 3-pointer by Burns put them up 48-45 before the final quarter.

Burns’ shot swung momentum into Point Park’s favor, and they got their first win of the new decade 68-64.

The Pioneers play next on Thursday for an RSC matchup at Midway before returning home to host IU East next Tuesday. Point Park looks to get their first conference wins of the season.