Coupeville Sports

   Coupeville grad Kailey Kellner (second from right) helped D’Youville College nab a crucial league win Wednesday night in Buffalo.

The playoff hunt intensifies.

Coupeville grad Kailey Kellner and her D’Youville College women’s basketball teammates built a big lead Wednesday, then weathered a fourth-quarter storm to nab a crucial win.

The 74-69 victory over visiting Penn State-Behrend snaps a five-game skid for the Spartans and keeps them in the running for the postseason.

The top six squads in the 10-team Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference advance to the postseason tourney, and D’Youville (4-6 in league play, 5-12 overall) currently sits in seventh-place.

But Wednesday’s win was huge as it pulls the Spartans within a half-game of the team in sixth, which happens to be Penn State-Behrend (5-6, 7-11).

D’Youville swept the season series, beating the Lions 62-45 Nov. 29.

The second go-round seemed like it would be a rout, as the Spartans jumped out to a 25-17 lead after one quarter, then stretched the margin to 20 headed into the fourth.

Penn State had other ideas, launching a furious fourth-quarter comeback, slicing its deficit all the way down to 71-67 with a minute to play.

The Spartans held on at the end thanks to dead-eye free-throw shooting from Sydney Alton and strong work on the defensive boards.

Kellner played 13 minutes, tossing in a three-point bomb and snagging a pair of rebounds.

One of just six Spartans to have played in every game this season, she has 46 points, 44 rebounds, 18 assists, eight steals and three blocks so far in her freshman campaign.

Wednesday’s win launches a three-game home-stand for D’Youville.

The Spartans welcome Pitt-Greensburg (3-8, 3-15) to Buffalo Saturday, then host Penn State-Altoona (3-7, 7-8) Sunday.