Novak’s 16 Leads Lions to PSUAC Playoff Win

Penn State Schuylkill battled through a season's worth of adversity and earned another day together with a 56-46 win over Penn State Scranton in the opening round of the PSUAC Playoffs on Sunday.

Penn State Schuylkill (7-16) welcomed postseason basketball back to Schuylkill Haven and delivered, grinding out a 56-46 victory over Penn State Scranton (9-11) behind timely shot-making, composure at the foul line, and a group effort that has defined the Lions all season long.

The Lions answered an early Scranton three with energy plays and toughness inside. Ava Novak got Schuylkill on the board and set the tone with multiple second-chance opportunities early, while Katelyn Otto closed the first quarter in a big way—knocking down a corner three at the buzzer to pull the Lions within 16-15 after one.

The game stayed tight through the second quarter, and Schuylkill briefly grabbed the lead on a Mikayla Johnson triple (5:00) as the Lions continued to trade punches possession-by-possession. Scranton edged ahead at the half, 29-28, but Schuylkill never blinked.

The difference came out of the locker room. Schuylkill won the third quarter 15-9, turning defense into momentum and stringing together stops to build separation. Otto buried a key three (2:18) during a surge that pushed the Lions in front, and Novak finished the period with a late bucket to make it 43-38 heading to the fourth.

In the final quarter, Scranton made one last push to cut it to 43-40, but Schuylkill responded with timely plays on both ends—Megan Hauser finished through contact (7:43), then came up with a steal moments later as the Lions steadied themselves and rebuilt the lead. Novak added two huge buckets late (4:24 and 3:52) to stretch the margin, and Schuylkill sealed it at the line to close out a statement playoff win.

Stat leaders for Schuylkill:

Ava Novak: 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting

Katelyn Otto: 13 points (2 threes), 6 rebounds

Tayla Jones: 9 points, 3 assists

Madison Cooper: 6 points, 7 rebounds

Mikayla Johnson: 6 points, 4 assists

More than anything, this one was about togetherness—this group stayed connected, kept fighting, and earned the right to keep playing.

Up next: Penn State Schuylkill advances to face top-seeded Penn State York on Tuesday in a PSUAC quarterfinal doubleheader at York: Women at 6:00 PM, Men at 8:00 PM.