PITTSBURGH – The Pitt-Bradford women's basketball team fought for 40 minutes against the number one team in the league, but it wasn't enough as La Roche defeated Pitt-Bradford 65-54 on Saturday, Feb. 8.

The Panthers used strong performances from junior Alicia Kimmel and freshman Kaserra Owens in the contest with the Redhawks. Kimmel finished her afternoon with 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists, to lead the Panthers in scoring. Owens registered 10 points and six rebounds to complete a solid afternoon on the floor.

Pitt-Bradford (12-9, 8-6) entered today's contest having previously defeated the Redhawks, 78-74, on Jan. 11. The Panthers never found the edge defensively they had in the first outing that was needed to stop the Redhawks' attack.

The two squads traded possessions to start the game before the Panthers' Geena Sneeringer struck first with a layup off the glass. Pitt-Bradford was able to keep the score close in the opening minutes, being down by two points after eight minutes of play.

It remained tight between the two teams for the majority of the first period. With 3:48 to play, the score was knotted at 17 points each. La Roche was able to pull ahead with 1:29 remaining, but the Panthers reacted quickly.

Kimmel went to the line with under a minute left and drained both shots. With no time remaining, Madison Krebs laid one in off the glass to give the Panthers the edge and the lead heading to the locker room, 23-21.

Pitt-Bradford finished the first half shooting 29.6 percent and missed on two triple attempts. The Panthers were 7-of-9 from the line.

The Redhawks finished the first twenty minutes shooting 28 percent, including 33.3 percent from behind the arc. They were 5-of-8 from the charity stripe.

La Roche (17-4, 12-2) and the Panthers again hit the floor with several missed opportunities to open the half. It was the Panthers who got on the board first with a free throw from freshman Brittany Watts.

The Panthers went on a scoring spree at that moment and worked their way to an eight-point lead with just over 13 minutes left to play. However, the lead was short lived and La Roche managed to cut the deficit to a tie and eventually find the lead.

Scoring never appeared to be an issue for the Panthers, as they continued to chip away at the scoreboard. The problems lied on the defensive end, where they continuously had trouble stopping the Redhawks' attack.

La Roche was able to put the game away with just under one minute remaining on the clock. The Panthers attempted to foul the Redhawks in an effort to stop the clock, but the effort was unsuccessful and the clock expired.

Pitt-Bradford finished the game shooting just 30.2 percent from the field and did not connect on a triple. The Panthers were 16-of-20 from the line.

La Roche shot 43.6 percent for the game, including 33.3 percent from behind the arc. The Redhawks were 13-of-20 from the charity stripe.

The Panthers return to the KOA Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 12, as they host Hilbert for an 8 p.m. tipoff.