Weekend College Top 10: La Roche basketball teams sweep conference titles

Every Monday, the Tribune-Review will highlight 10 top area college performances from the weekend:

1. La Roche women tie AMCC record for wins

Danajah Sanders scored 22 points, and the Redhawks recorded a season high in points en route to a 93-56 rout of Alfred State in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference on Saturday.

La Roche finished the regular season 18-6 overall and 18-2 in the conference, tying the program best for AMCC wins.

Jenna Cole (Norwin) contributed 17 points and five rebounds for the Redhawks, who earned the top seed for the AMCC Tournament and received a first-round bye.

No way 2 express what this young lady has meant to our program along the last 3 years! She has been the ultimate STUDENT-Athlete! A great person, teammate, leader. Thank u Jenna for everything you have done 4 our program! We aren't done yet kiddddd! Lets ride baby! @jennacole45 pic.twitter.com/7ryNZAvnSv

— Kamela Gissendanner (@Kgiss25) February 22, 2020

La Roche will host a semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday.

2. La Roche men prevail in regular-season finale

Darius Lawrence (Ambridge) scored 18 points to lead a balanced scoring attack as the Redhawks downed Alfred State, 80-67, on Saturday.

La Roche (19-6, 19-1), which has won three straight AMCC regular-season crowns, set a record for most conference wins in a season.

19-1 ?? The Redhawks take down Alfred St. at the Kerr on Senior Day in their final regular season game, 80-67. Every single senior scored today led by Darius Lawrence who finished with a a game-high 18 points and 4 assists. Next up, AMCC playoffs. (Frederick: 16, Smith:10) pic.twitter.com/doMUJQXQXw

— La Roche Athletics (@LaRocheRedhawks) February 22, 2020

Tyler Frederick (Butler) added 16 points and seven rebounds for the Redhawks, who hit a season-best 15 3-pointers.

La Roche earned a first-round bye in the AMCC Tournament and will host a semifinal at noon Friday.

3. IUP men roll to division title

The No. 8 Crimson Hawks routed Seton Hill, 89-38, on Saturday to clinch the outright regular-season title in the PSAC West as well as the top seed in the conference tournament.

It is IUP’s fifth consecutive division crown and 10th in the past 11 seasons.

We don’t like to share.

With today’s win, we clinched the outright PSAC West regular season championship and No. 1 divisional seed in the conference tournament! #g2g | #TalonsUp pic.twitter.com/JTRFEme0J4

— IUP Men’s Basketball (@IUP_MBB) February 22, 2020

Armoni Foster scored 23 points for IUP (23-2, 18-2), and Malik Miller added 17 points.

The Crimson Hawks shot a season-best 61.1% from the field.

Seton Hill dropped to 4-20, 3-17.

4. Grove City men clinch top seed in PAC tourney

Erik Meiners scored 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting to lift the Wolverines past Washington & Jefferson, 74-72, in the regular-season finale Saturday.

James Wells and Nate Peters had 14 points apiece for Grove City (17-8, 13-3), which went on a 12-3 run midway through the second half to pull ahead.

Cameron Seemann paced W&J (14-11, 9-7 PAC) with 20 points.

Grove City will host No. 8 seed Thiel (6-17) at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the PAC Tournament quarterfinals.

Fourth-seeded W&J hosts fifth-seeded Geneva (12-13), second-seeded Chatham (16-9) meets seventh-seeded Waynesburg (6-19), and third-seeded Westminster (15-10) takes on sixth-seeded Saint Vincent (12-13) in Tuesday’s other quarterfinals.

5. Saint Vincent women repeat as PAC regular-season champs

Madison Kollar (Latrobe) had 30 points and seven rebounds as the Bearcats rallied past Chatham, 97-87, on Saturday.

Saint Vincent outscored the Cougars, 35-18, in the fourth quarter.

Here's our @MrDebtBuster Player of the Game interview w/ @SVC_Bearcats senior @madison_kollar following @SVC_WomensBball's win at Chatham. The @GLCATATHLETICS product scored 32 pts in the comeback win.

?https://t.co/azObeGrfJP@PAC_Athletics @Big56Conference @d3hoopsville pic.twitter.com/zyYIkQZBLA

— PAC Sports Network (@PACSports) February 23, 2020

Jenna Lafko (Hampton) added 18 points for the Bearcats (18-6, 14-1), who earned a bye into the PAC Tournament semifinals along with second-seeded Grove City (23-2).

The first round begins Monday with fifth-seeded Chatham (14-10) against eighth-seeded Geneva (3-20) and sixth-seeded Waynesburg (7-18) hosting seventh-seeded Bethany (6-19).

In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, third-seeded Westminster (19-6) faces the winner of Waynesburg-Bethany, and fourth-seeded Washington & Jefferson meets the winner of Chatham-Geneva.

6. Carnegie Mellon’s McNeil breaks assists record

Senior Colin McNeil had nine assists in the Tartans’ 82-81 overtime loss to Rochester on Sunday, becoming the program’s all-time leader.

McNeil upped his career total to 449, eclipsing the mark of 442 held by Todd Jenkins (1989-93).

7. Waynesburg women’s lacrosse team halts 45-game skid

Eve O’Sullivan (Latrobe) and Bre Martini had three goals apiece as the Yellow Jackets topped Thomas More, 7-5, on Sunday.

The victory was Waynesburg’s first since April 20, 2016.

Riley Yoder made nine saves in the win.

8. IUP sophomore earns Most Outstanding Swimmer at PSACs

Paige Mikesell won the 100-yard butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 IM and helped the 800 freestyle relay to victory at the conference championships over the weekend in York.

West Chester took 14 of 19 events en route to its 14th consecutive conference title.

IUP placed second.

9. No. 10 Pitt wrestling knocks off No. 7 Virginia Tech

Ninth-ranked Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park) upset second-ranked Hunter Bolen at 184 pounds to help the Panthers to an 18-13 victory Saturday, Pitt’s first over the Hokies since 2014.

SO THAT HAPPENED??#pinzburgh » #H2P pic.twitter.com/q7srXDzTYP

— Pitt Wrestling (@Pitt_WRES) February 23, 2020

Fifth-ranked Micky Phillippi (Derry) won at 133 pounds for the Panthers, who finished the regular season 10-4 overall and 3-2 in the ACC. It was Phillippi’s eighth victory over a ranked opponent this season.

Virginia Tech dropped to 11-3, 2-3.

10. RMU women’s basketball team reaches 20-win mark again

The Colonials smothered Fairleigh Dickinson, 48-35, on Sunday to move a victory away from its fourth straight Northeast Conference regular-season title.

Robert Morris (20-7, 15-1 NEC) also clinched its fifth straight 20-win season.

The score was tied 21-21 at halftime, but the Colonials pulled away by outscoring FDU, 19-5, in the third quarter.

Reserve Natalie Villaflor led the Colonials with nine points.