By: Keystone Sports Information
CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. - Saturday's 2022 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Women's Basketball Championship features two institutions 15 minutes apart and less than 10 miles away.
The Keystone College and Clarks Summit University rivalry will write a new chapter on Saturday as the No. 2 seed Giants (18-7) head down Route 6/11 to the No. 1 seed Defenders (22-4) on Feb. 26 with tipoff at 1 p.m.
The Giants enter Saturday on an eight-game winning streak and are 10-4 on the road this season.
Keystone had three senior players reach the 1,000 point milestone this season: Bella Lamonea (Glendora, Calif./South Hills), Mac Oribello (San Diego, Calif./Westview), and Lee Gordon (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Wood).
Lamonea and Oribello each earned First Team All-CSAC honors while Gordon was named Honorable Mention.
Keystone defeated No. 3 seed Notre Dame of Maryland 75-73, on Wednesday in the semifinals. Gordon tallied a game-high 24 points, with 10 points coming in the clutch during the fourth quarter.
Saturday's contest features the league leaders in three-pointers, as both teams have combined to make 457 shots from downtown this season.
Keystone is the defending CSAC champion, defeating St. Elizabeth 72-61 on Feb. 29, 2020. The 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Defenders are 11-1 at home inside Huckaby Gym and are on a five-game winning streak.
Senior Elizabeth Singleton is the 2021-22 CSAC Player of the Year and earned First Team All-CSAC honors while Randie Traxler was named to the Second Team.
CSU defeated Wilson 80-49 in the semifinals as Traxler and Alison Aten both finished with 23 points, combining to shoot 12-of-23 from three-point range.
The Defenders are living up to their nickname this year, leading the CSAC in points allowed per game (52.3 ppg) while scoring the most points per game in the conference (75.5 ppg).
Singleton ranks in the top three in the CSAC in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage. Traxler and Aten rank 2-3 in three-pointers made per game.
