PSUAC Women's Championship game recap

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Beaver beat Penn State Schuylkill to capture the 2025 PSUAC Women’s Basketball Championship by a score of 76-60. Beaver picked up its second straight championship, and eleventh in history.

Eastern Division Player of the Year and Eastern Division Defensive Player of the Year Tajae Stevenson showcased her talent and wide range of skills with 26 points and 10 rebounds, six of which were offensive rebounds. Eastern Division Second Team Ava Novak collected 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Beaver had four players in double figures. Western Division Second Team Emery Black and Western Division Second Team Claudia Siegfried had 15 points each. Taylor Woodruff had 11 points.

Western Division Defensive Player of the Year and Western Division Second Team Katie Enderle ended the game with 13 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, five steals and a block. Two other players for Beaver ended with nine points.

Beaver’s all-around play was shown in bench points, leading Schuylkill 13-2 in the category. While Schuylkill had a 20-6 advantage in second chance points, the game started the other way around.

Beaver’s Jaden Tesch started the scoring with an offensive rebound, followed by a layup with 8:55 left in the first quarter. After a couple of baskets made by each team, Tesch stole the ball and Nadia King made a layup to take a 7-3 lead with 6:35 left in the first quarter.

With 3:21 left in the first quarter, Beaver was beating Schuylkill 18-3. Up to that point, they were shooting 40 percent from three.

Beaver’s Claudia Siegfriend made her presence known with her seventh point to make it 20-3 Beaver with 1:55 left in the first quarter. Schuylkill was letting Beaver do anything.

When Schuylkill and Beaver met on Dec. 7, 2024, Schuylkill won 66-64. Ava Novak hit a game-winning long-range two-pointer with 23 seconds left.. Beaver was coming for revenge.

Beaver outscored Schuylkill 22-4 in the first quarter. Head coach Charles Killian of Schuylkill had to make some changes. However, they were just outmatched. King committed her third foul of the game with 8:58 left in the second quarter.

Allison Crockett went 0-6 to start the game, but she drained a huge three to attempt to gain some momentum for Schuylkill. After that, Crocket hit two huge free throws to cut the lead to single digits. She then continued her dominance with a loud block on Emery Black.

Schuylkill’s Tajae Stevenson and Siegfriend went bucket for bucket with 1:36 left in the second quarter. However, a pair of free throws by Cashimere Ralph made the lead eight.

After the end of the first half, Beaver led Schuylkill 35-23. Siegfried led both teams in points with ten. Stevenson led Schuylkill with eight, going 3 of 4 from the field.

Steals were the main catalyst of Beaver’s dominance, leading Schuylkill 11-5 in the category. In total rebounds, Beaver led Schuylkill 25-17 in the category.

In terms of defensive rebounds, Beaver led 16-9. However, Schuylkill’s ability to complete second chance field goals far outdid Beaver’s. Schuylkill led Beaver 10-4 in second chance points.

Beaver started the second half with a statement-making block by Katie Enderle. However, King made a beautiful pass to Serena Jones, who completed the layup to make it 35-27 with 8:35 left in the third quarter.

Stevenson made a three and then a two with 6:40 left to keep the lead at eight. During the third quarter, both teams kept trading shots, but Beaver started to pull away with a 13-point lead with 4:20 left.

As the teams went blow for blow, the stadium got louder and louder. Both benches and fan bases were cheering on their respective teams, and they were doing it loudly.

With 3:07 left in the third, Schuylkill finally cut the lead to single digits with a pair of free throws from Stevenson. They then cut it to seven with a pair of free throws from Allison.

A steal and a layup from Katie Enderle upped the lead to nine. Novak cut the lead to seven again with a jumper.

As the game entered its final quarter, the score was 49-42. Schuylkill was slowly but surely clawing its way back into the game.

During the fourth quarter, Beaver was getting into foul trouble. Tesch and Ralph had four fouls each. On the other hand, Schuylkill’s King committed her fifth foul four seconds after she checked back into the game.

Stevenson converted a 3-point play to make the score 51-47, Beaver. Ralph appeared injured on the play, but after a minute or two, she got up and appeared a little hurt, but okay.

With Enderle making a pair of free throws, she got her tenth point to go along with 12 rebounds. However, she committed her fourth foul with just under six minutes left in the quarter.

Even with Enderle in foul trouble, Taylor Woodruff made a jumper to increase the lead to nine with 5:16 left. After that, Tajae Stevenson committed her fourth foul. This let Beaver make a pair of free throws to make the lead double digits.

Beaver’s defensive intensity was shown as they picked up Schuylkill from behind the middle of the court. After Black made a tough jump shot, Beaver’s lead increased to 14.

It seemed as if Schuylkill was coming back in the game, but its foul trouble let Beaver command the floor. With exactly two minutes left, the score was 69-54. Beaver could feel the championship coming its way.

Both teams played with a lot of heart while both fanbases cheered on their respective teams. Schuylkill will make the two-hour drive east as the runner-up, while Beaver will make the three-hour drive west as the champions.

Jack Harrison is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jkh6603@psu.edu.