WILKES-BARRE, PA (November 11, 2026) – The King's College women's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 65-62 loss to Penn State Abington in its 2026-27 home opener at McGrane Gymnasium on Wednesday evening. Despite leading for much of the contest, the Monarchs were unable to hold off a late comeback by the Nittany Lions, falling to 0-3 on the season.
Junior forward Claire Aufiero led the Monarchs with a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, shooting 8-for-20 from the field while adding four steals. Kasey Weimer followed with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals, while Taylor Hough added 10 points and six rebounds, shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Lillian Crabbs provided a spark off the bench with eight points and nine rebounds.
King's got off to a strong start defensively, holding Penn State Abington to just seven first-quarter points. Trailing 5-2 early, the Monarchs used three consecutive layups from Aufiero to take an 8-5 advantage. King's continued to build its lead throughout the opening period, closing the quarter on an 8-0 run capped by an Aufiero layup in the final seconds to take a 16-7 lead.
The Monarchs carried their momentum into the second quarter, with Aufiero connecting on a three-pointer to extend the lead to 19-9. Another triple from the junior forward gave King's a 24-15 advantage with 6:39 remaining in the half. However, the Nittany Lions began to chip away at the deficit, using back-to-back three-pointers from Hailey Revak to take a 26-25 lead. King's responded with consecutive baskets from Crabbs and a three-pointer from Elise Larson to regain a four-point advantage, but Penn State Abington scored the final four points of the half to even the score at 32-32 heading into the break.
Penn State Abington opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run to take a 40-34 lead. The Monarchs answered with a 14-2 run of their own, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Tiffany Pecorella, to take a 48-42 advantage with 3:08 remaining. The Nittany Lions battled back to tie the game at 48, but baskets from Weimer and a free throw from Crabbs gave King's a 51-48 lead entering the final quarter.
The Monarchs extended their lead to 53-48 early in the fourth quarter following two free throws from Hough. Penn State Abington continued to battle, eventually taking a 56-55 lead on a Revak three-pointer with 4:29 remaining. Gabby Marsola responded with a three-pointer of her own to put King's back in front, 58-56, before the Nittany Lions tied the contest at 58 with under two minutes to play.
Weimer converted a three-point play with 1:27 remaining to give the Monarchs a 61-58 advantage, but Penn State Abington answered with four consecutive points to take a 62-61 lead with 20 seconds left. After the Nittany Lions extended their advantage, Pecorella connected on a free throw to bring King's within one, 63-62, with eight seconds remaining. However, Penn State Abington converted two free throws in the closing seconds to secure the 65-62 victory.
The Monarchs finished the contest shooting 30.2% (19-for-63) from the field and 78.3% (18-for-23) from the free throw line. King's forced 22 turnovers and recorded 16 steals, converting those opportunities into 25 points.
Penn State Abington was led by Amirah Hackney, who recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Xenia Gillis added 11 points and 15 rebounds.
King's returns to action on Saturday, November 14, when the Monarchs host Gwynedd Mercy University at Scandlon Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
--MONARCHS--
