Photo for the Mirror by Chuck Meyers Avana Sayles fights for an offensive rebound against two Hilbert defenders in the 1st round of the AMCC playoffs.

The Penn State Altoona women’s basketball team is back in a familiar spot for the third season in a row in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference semifinals.

The third-seeded Lady Lions got out to an 18-4 first-quarter lead and picked up a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds from senior Avana Sayles in a 63-32 AMCC first-round victory over No. 6 Hilbert at Adler Arena.

Despite jumping out to the 14-point lead after the first quarter, the Hawks climbed out of it to trail by just nine points late in the second quarter. PSU Altoona led 29-16 at halftime before a 20-5 third-quarter advantage put the game away.

“We picked it up a lot in the second half,” PSU Altoona coach Halee Hutchinson said. “We started a little slower than I would have liked, but I think in the end they all did what they needed to do to win the game.

“I’m very proud of them. They all know their strengths. They all know what they need to do every time they step on the court.”

With the win, PSU Altoona will meet La Roche in the AMCC semifinals on Friday at Penn State Behrend. The two teams split in the regular season with each squad posting wins on their home floors.

In the other first-round game on Tuesday in the six-team tournament, fourth-seeded Alfred State beat No. 5 Mount Aloysius, 62-54.

By the time the teams went to halftime, Sayles was already pretty close to the double-double as she dominated the glass throughout the game.

“The first half was kind of slow, but I think our talk at halftime set us off,” said Sayles, who played 32 minutes in the win. “We didn’t want to beat them only by a little bit.

“I just wanted a win. At the end of the day, especially during playoffs, whatever I do is for the team.”

“Every night she bails us out with shots that I don’t know how she makes,” Hutchinson said. “She just comes in with a positive attitude to every practice and every game. I couldn’t be happier for her.”

Bellwood-Antis graduate Jaidyn McCracken knocked down a 3-pointer on the first possession out of halftime, which was a sign of big things to come in the second half. PSU Altoona hit two more from long distance in the period, one from Altoona alum Lanie Wilt and another from Ellie Irvin.

The Lady Lions led 49-21 after the third quarter.

The defensive effort for Penn State Altoona was evident the entire game as it forced the Hawks into 17 turnovers.

Wilt also scored in double figures with Sayles, chipping in with 10 points. McCracken scored nine points.

As a team, PSU Altoona shot 36.6 percent (26-of-71) for the night.

Kayla Johnson led Hilbert with 10 points for the night.

The Hawks finished 4-22.

The tipoff between PSU Altoona (19-7) and La Roche in the semifinals will be at 3 p.m. on Friday from PSU Behrend. With a win, the Lady Lions will play in the AMCC championship at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

“We have to do what we’ve been doing all year — play good defense, offensive rebounding, getting assists,” Hutchinson said. “Ultimately it has to start with defense.”

HILBERT (32): Alba 1 0-0 2, Johnson 5 0-2 10, Blair 2 1-2 6, Sabala 3 2-2 8, Aldays 0 0-0 0, Iten 3 0-0 6, Jackson 0 0-0 0, Rwigamba 0 0-0 0, Scott 0 0-0 0, Thomas 0 0-0 0, Berrios 0 0-0 0. Totals — 14 3-6 32.

PENN STATE ALTOONA (63): McCracken 4 0-0 9, Sayles 9 1-4 19, Kuzminski 2 0-0 4, Irvin 2 0-0 6, Wilt 4 1-2 10, Stephens 2 0-0 6, Hicks 0 2-2 2, Painter 1 0-0 3, Schirato 2 0-0 4, Glunt 0 0-0 0, Nardolillo 0 0-0 0. Totals — 26 4-8 63.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Hilbert 4 12 5 11 — 32

Penn State Altoona 18 11 20 14 — 63

3-point goals: Hilbert 1 (Blair); Penn State Altoona 7 (McCracken, Irvin 2, Wilt, Stephens 2, Painter).

Records: Hilbert (4-22); Penn State Altoona (19-7).

Officials: Jon Best, Sarah Fye, Dexter Shorter