Bobcat Weekly Updates

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For the fourth consecutive week, freshman forward Nicole Kushner (Canon McMillan H.S.) was honorable mention for AMCC Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week.  In two games for the Bobcats, Kushner scored 40 points and hauled down 20 rebounds.  Kushner’s individual efforts were enough to help push the Bobcats to a 1-1 week against Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference foes Penn State-Behrend and Pitt-Bradford.

The Bobcats opened the week with a Valentine’s Day home game against AMCC standings leader Penn State-Behrend.  The Bobcats shot a remarkable 60-percent from the floor in the first half and jumped out to a 40-29 halftime lead over the Penn State-Behrend Lions.  Senior guard Briane Krebs (Conemaugh Township H.S.) sparked the Bobcats with 11 points in the first half.  Kushner added five points and five rebounds.

In the second half, the Bobcats started strong and led by as many as 24 before enduring a Behrend Lions run.  Behrend cut the Bobcats’ lead to six points with just 14 seconds remaining.  The Bobcats, however, held on for an 87-79 victory.

Kushner, sophomore forward Erin Arnold (Kiski Area H.S.) and freshman guard Torey Auld (Seneca Valley H.S.) each scored 18 points for UPG.  Kushner also had game highs with her 10 rebounds and eight assists.  Krebs scored 11 points and had five steals for the Bobcats.  Freshman Patti Matovich (East Allegheny H.S.) added 11 points for UPG.

The game was also senior night for the Bobcats.  The lone senior on the UPG Women’s Basketball squad is guard Briane Krebs from Holsopple, Pa.  Krebs is a graduate of Conemaugh Township. As of Feb. 19, Krebs has scored 608 career points, placing her second on UPG’s all-time scoring list for women’s basketball.  Krebs has also made 42 three-point shots in her career and has grabbed 405 career rebounds, placing her at the top of both lists.  Krebs also ranks first in career steals and in career assists. Her contributions to the UPG Women’s Basketball Program will be greatly missed.

Following the victory over the Lions, the Bobcats traveled to Bradford to face their AMCC and Pitt rival, the Pitt-Bradford Panthers on Saturday, Feb. 17th.  The Bobcats struggled early and trailed the Panthers 47-28 at halftime.  In the first half, the Bobcats shot just 23-percent from the floor and connected on 0-2 shots from three-point land.

In the second half, the Bobcats improved their shooting to 46-percent and connected on all 3 three-point shots but it wasn’t enough.  The Bobcats fell to the Panthers, 68-52.

Kushner led all scorers with 22 points. Kushner also had a team-high 10 rebounds in the loss.  Erin Arnold was the only other Bobcats to score in double figures as she tallied 10 points.  Auld had eight rebounds and a game-high five steals for UPG.
With loss to the Panthers, the Bobcats ended their regular season with a 9-3 record in AMCC play and a 14-10 record overall.  The Bobcats will compete in the AMCC tournament this week.  In the tournament, which begins on Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Bobcats will be the number three seed.  The Bobcats will play sixth-ranked Frostburg State in their first tournament game and if they win continue on to Penn State Behrend for the Semi-finals and Finals of the AMCC Tournament.

The Bobcats were in action three times last week, including Senior Night on Valentines Day and their final regular season game against Pitt-Bradford on Saturday, Feb. 17.

The Bobcats kicked off their week with a home game against Bethany on Monday, Feb. 12.  Despite shooting 54-percent form the field in the first half, the Bobcats trailed the Bison 52-37 at halftime.

In the second half, the Bobcats made a run but could not over come the Bison and fell 109-81.  Senior guard Josh Sapotichne (Greensburg Salem H.S.)and sophomore forward Garret Treese (Hempfield Area H.S.) each scored 17 points to lead the Bobcats.  Freshman guard Scott Winfrey (Uniontown H.S.) scored 16 points and grabbed a team high six rebounds for UPG.  Winfrey and Sapotichne handed out six assists each for the Bobcats.  Sophomore forward Tony DeCosmo (Thomas Jefferson H.S.) scored 10 points and hauled down four boards for UPG.

Following the loss to Bethany, the Bobcats faced AMCC foe Penn State-Behrend in the Bobcats’ final home game of the season.  Led by Sapotichne’s 14 first-half points, the Bobcats jumped out to a 31-20 lead at halftime against the Lions.

In the second half, the Bobcats lead by as many as 18 but could not hold off a charge from the Lions, who came back to tie the game at 51 with just 31 seconds remaining.  Winfrey’s three-pointer with just four seconds remaining in regulation gave the Bobcats a 54-51 lead.  However, the Lions connected on a spectacular three-pointer of their own as time expired to send the game to overtime.  In the overtime period, the Bobcats were outscored 13-6 to lose, 67-60.

Sapotichne led all scorers with 22 points.  Sapotichne also handed out a team-high four assists for UPG.  Sophomore forward Mike Dudek (Woodland Hills H.S.) scored 16 points for the Bobcats while Winfrey scored seven.  Treese scored eight points and collected a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Bobcats recognized Sapotichne, the only senior on the Bobcats roster.  Sapotichne is a Greensburg, native and is a graduate of Greensburg Salem H.S.  As of Feb. 19, Sapotichne has scored 1074 points in his career to rank him second on UPG’s all-time scoring list.  Sapotichne holds the UPG record for career three-pointers made with 195.  Sapotichne ranks third in both career rebounds and in career assists.  Josh’s play and leadership will be missed by the young Bobcat’s squad.

The Bobcats closed their week at Pitt-Bradford on Saturday, Feb. 17.  Again the bobcats shot well from the floor, connecting on 54-percent of their attempts, but still found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard, trailing 53-33 at halftime.

The Bobcats shooting cooled to 31-percent in the second half and the Bobcats fell to the Lions, 98-63.  Sapotichne scored a game-high 26 points and Dudek scored 13 to lead the Bobcats.  Dudek also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

For his efforts, Sapotichne was honorable mention for AMCC Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week.  In three games, Sapotichne scored 65 points and handed out 12 assists.

The Bobcats are set to be the fifth seed in the AMCC tournament, which kicks off on Wednesday, Feb. 21.  In their tourney opener, the Bobcats face LaRoche on the road and if they can pull off the upset move on to Bradford for the Semi-finals and Finals of the AMCC Tournament.

The Bobcats competed twice last week, going 1-1 with the victory coming against AMCC foe Frostburg State.  The 93-64 win over Frostburg puts the Bobcats in third place in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference with an 8-2 record against AMCC opponents and a 13-9 overall record.

The Bobcats will close their season with two games this week.  On Wednesday, Feb. 14 the Bobcats face the first place team in the AMCC, Penn State-Behrend and travel to Pitt-Bradford on Saturday, Feb. 17.  The Bobcats will compete in the AMCC tournament on Feb. 21-24.  If UPG can defeat Penn State Behrend on Wednesday they would pull into a tie with both Behrend and Penn State Altoona atop the AMCC.  The number one team not only receives a bye in the first round of the tournament but also hosts the final four teams on Feb. 23rd and 24th.

 The Bobcats opened their week on Monday, Feb. 5 with a trip to New Wilmington, Pa. to face Westminster.  The Bobcats got off to a slow start, shooting just 33 percent in the first half, and trailed Westminster 29-17 at halftime.

 In the second half, the Bobcats shooting improved slightly but the Bobcats were unable to overcome the Titans, losing 64-41.  Sophomore guard Jordan Fox (Hempfield Area H.S.) paced the Bobcats with 12 points while freshman forward Nicole Kushner (Canon McMilla H.S.) added nine points and a team-high three assists.  Freshman forward Patti Matovich (East Allegheny H.S.) scored eight points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds for UPG.

 Following the loss to Westminster, the Bobcats traveled to Frostburg State University (Frostburg, Md.) for an AMCC game.  It was a complete turnaround for the Bobcats shot 59-percent in the first half and led 51-30 at halftime.  Kushner scored 16 first-half points and grabbed six rebounds for the Bobcats.  Matovich had 10 points at the break.

The Bobcats cruised through the second half and came away with a 93-64 victory.  Kushner led the way with a game-high 28 points and 15 rebounds.  Sophomore forward Erin Arnold (Kiski Area H.S.) scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds, handed out five assists, and picked up three steals for UPG.  Freshman guard Torey Auld (Seneca Valley H.S.) scored eight points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out five assists for the Bobcats.

Kushner’s efforts once again earned her Honorable Mention for AMCC Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week.  In two games, Kushner scored 37 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and handed out six assists.

Kushner isn’t the only Bobcats making a big individual contribution.  Three Bobcats on the 2000-01 roster rank in the top five in several UPG All-Time statistical categories for women’s basketball.

Arnold, senior guard Briane Krebs (Conemaugh Township H.S.), and Kushner rank third, fourth, and fifth respectively on the Bobcat’s list of all-time leading scorers.   Krebs and Auld rank second and third on the list for all-time assist leaders and Arnold is second in career blocks with 27.  Arnold also ranks fifth in career rebounds with 236.  Krebs, who is also UPG’s career steals leader, is second on the list with 326 boards.

Krebs heads the list for career three-point field goals made while Auld is fourth on the list.  Krebs and Arnold also rank in the top five for field goals made in a career and free-throws made.