SUMMERDALE, PA -- Pratt Institute scored the first nine points, shot 8-16 from three-point range, and held off a late Knights rally to improve to 4-3 with a 66-62 non-conference win at Central Penn University Monday afternoon.
Senior Anna Bryce led the Cannoneers with 19 points to go along with six rebounds, a game-high eight assists, and four steals. Emily Guerra added nine points, a team-high 11 rebounds, and six assists. Her three-pointer with 1:48 left in the game extended Pratt's lead to 64-60, and the freshman knocked down two free throws with 14 second left to seal the win.
Sophomore Jen Klockner came off the bench for a season-high 13 points on 3-4 three-point shooting, and Pratt converted a season-best 50 percent from deep.
For Central Penn, Jade Adams led all scorers with 22 points.
Back-to-back Idalia Kaplan layups opened up a 9-0 lead 1:18 into the game, with Pratt scoring on its first four possessions and closing out the first quarter leading 23-11. The Knights chipped away in the second, scoring seven of the quarter's final nine points to pull within eight at 32-24 at halftime.
A pair of Amira Howard free throws brought the hosts to 36-32 before Klockner knocked down two straight triples, upping the lead back to 10 at 42-32. A Melissa Ruiz three-pointer capped a 10-0 Knights run spanning the first half for the fourth quarter, and after a Bryce layup, another Ruiz trey tied the contest at 59-59 with 3:15 to play.
Guerra's three-pointer provided some breathing room and made it a two-possession game at 64-60 at the 1:48 mark. She secured the rebound on an Adams missed jumper that would have tied the game in the final 20 seconds and sank two free throws with 14 seconds left that ultimately clinched the win.
While the Cannoneers shot a season-best 50 percent from three-point range, the team hit on only 29 percent (4-14) from the free throw stripe. Led by 19 from Howard, the Knights won the rebounding battle 50-36, but Pratt forced 20 Central Penn turnovers and turned the ball over only nine times on the game.
At 4-3 overall, the Cannoneers remain in non-conference play on Friday, playing host to Alfred State at 8:00 p.m.
