ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Penn State Altoona junior guard Finnley Christine (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) was announced as the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s Co-Preseason Player of the Year in women’s basketball on Monday, when the league released its 2018-19 Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Christine shares the Preseason Player of the Year honor with Pitt-Bradford senior forward Jennifer Isenberg.
Christine put up excellent numbers for the Penn State Altoona women’s basketball team during her sophomore campaign last winter, finishing the season as a second team All-AMCC selection. In the conference last year, she ranked fifth in points per game (17.6), sixth in steals (58), field goals made (150), and free throws made (81), seventh in assists (78), eighth in total points (405), ninth in free throw percentage (77.1%), and 10th in field goal percentage (42.7%).
Meanwhile, the Lady Lions basketball team was voted into seventh place in the preseason poll. Hilbert College, the defending AMCC champion, was predicted to repeat after being picked first. Pitt-Bradford finished in second place, and La Roche College took third place.
Last season, Penn State Altoona women’s basketball finished the regular season in a tie for seventh place, compiling an 11-12 overall record that included a 7-11 mark in the AMCC. Led by sixth-year head coach Casey Wilt, the Lady Lions will look to improve on last year’s finish with the help of some key returners and talented newcomers.
Named as two “Players to Watch” this season for Penn State Altoona in the poll were Christine and sophomore forward Alexis Cannistraci (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone).
Cannistraci is coming off of a strong freshman season with the Lady Lions in 2017-18. She ranked third in the AMCC in free throw percentage (82.5%), fourth in blocks (29), 10th in defensive rebounds (129), 12th in field goal percentage (41.3%), 14th in rebounds per game (6.9), 17th in rebounds per game (158), and 20th in points per game (9.9).
Penn State Altoona women’s basketball starts its 2018-19 regular season with a home game on Thursday, November 15, hosting non-conference opponent Geneva College at 7:00 p.m. in the Adler Arena.
View the 2018-19 AMCC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
