And that’s precisely what the former Golden Knight did.

Parlante came off the bench of Penn College and made an impact right away, She had 18 points, second-most on the team, while grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds as St. John Neumann secured a 68-61 home win against Penn State Altoona to improve to 5-0 and continue its outstanding start to the season.

“Gigi has been out for the past five days with the flu, so to have her for the first time back and have her have a double-double and to play her game under the weather has just been amazing,” Penn College coach Britni Mohney said. “I think that her level of basketball in the time that she’s put in over the summer, you’re going to see another level of Gigi Parlante this year.”

No doubt that Monday was the latest example of that. The reigning United East Rookie of the Year was a key reason the Wildcats defeated Penn State Altoona as she grabbed seven defensive boards.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Gigi Parlante (12) eyes a shot around PS Altoona's Haley Hicks (21) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

“It’s really nice. Gigi, she’s always is working hard to get open and looking to rebound,” Penn College sophomore Breana Valentine said.

Valentine led Penn College with a 23-point performance while she had nine rebounds, a team-high four steals and dished out three assists with a block.

That duo played outstanding in helping the Wildcats rally back from a 10-point first-half deficit. With one second util halftime, Penn State Altoona’s Janie Wilt scored to give the Lions a 37-27 lead, the largest lead of the night.

But Penn College came out in the second half, made adjustments, and limited Penn State Altoona from there. After a 21-point second quarter by the Lions, Penn College held Penn State Altoona to just 24 second-half points.

“Just that energy (was key),” Valentine said. “I think we’re a second-half team so I think the first half, they were up at halftime. I think coming out with energy and just having the want to win.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Breana Valentins (22) lines up a shot around PS Altoona's Haley Hicks (21) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

Penn College also prevented Lanie Wilt from doing damage in the second half. After she scored 20 in the first two quarters, Penn College’s defense adjusted to neutralize her and did so, not allowing a single point the rest of the game coming out of halftime.

“I think one of the things that we did was we switched up our defense and threw in a box-and-1 on No. 24, Lainey, because she scored 20 on us in the first half, she was lights out. We said we have to stop her from getting the ball,” Mohney said. “RaeAnna (Andreas) on her, told everyone else we have to maintain and box out and secure the boards. Once we did that and secured the boards, we were able to do transition offense which is our go-to. We do a really great job getting the ball up the floor, letting our post sit, letting Gigi sit and having her just go to work.”

Penn State Altoona had a trio of double-digit scorers and two of which had double-doubles. Wilt scored 20 points, all in the first half, while Jaidyn McCracken scored 14 with 10 rebounds (eight defensive) and Avana Sayles had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Penn College never let the 10-point deficit to begin the second quarter worry it and kept chipping away. By the end of the third quarter, the Wildcats had cut the deficit to 49-48 when Hailey Theuret went 1 for 2 from the line with 9 seconds left.

In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Penn College took the lead for good — after a back-and-forth first and second quarter saw multiple exchanges — when Valentine hit a shot with 8:24 to play for a 52-51 lead and then Parlante hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it a 53-51 lead with 7:51 to play.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Mia Patterson (34) moves into the paint around PS Altoona's Ellie Irvin (1) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

From there, Penn College led by at least two points the remainder of the game and never let Penn State Altoona swing the momentum away.

“I think Kayla (Herzer) and Rae (Andreas), they were doing really well in our triangle defense,” Valentine said of holding the Lions to 12 fourth-quarter points. “I think locking their girls down, we just needed to back them up.”

“We said we can’t let 24 (Wilt) and 33 (Sayles) touch the ball, everyone else we have to move quick, get our hands up and have our secure box-out weak side, because if those are going to be long range side, they’re going to go opposite of the hoop and we have to secure them,” Mohney said. “And we did. Everyone was doing what they were supposed to do and it all came together. Defense has been our specialty since I came here and it’s going to continue to be.”

Penn College scored 27 points off the bench compared to the Lions’ 12, and 18 of those 27 came from Parlante.

Penn College 68, PSU Altoona 61

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Breana Valentins (22) moves past PS Altoona's Jaiden McCracken (11) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

PSU ALTOONA (2-2)

Ellie Irvin 0-7 0-0 0; Jaidyn McCracken 5-16 0-0 14, Lanie Wilt 8-17 0-0 20, Avana Sayles 4-16 4-8 12, Halle Kuzminski 1-2 1-2 3, Skylar McCall 1-6 0-0 2, Allyana Stephens 2-4 0-0 5, Haley Hicks 1-1 1-2 3, Addi Schirato 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 23-70 6-12 61.

PENN COLLEGE (5-0)

Kenni Galbreath 0-4 3-6 3, RaeAnna Andreas 4-7 0-0 9, Breana Valentine 6-14 9-10 23, Lexi Troup 1-5 2-2 4, Mia Patterson 1-8 0-2 2, Hailey Theuret 0-11-2 1, Gigi Parlante 5-15 8-19 18, Kayla Herzer 3-5 2-2 8. Totals 20-59 25-33 68.

PSU Altoona 16 21 12 12 — 61

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Breana Valentine (22) shoots over the heads of PS Altoona's Avana Sayles (33) and Halle Kuzminski (44) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

Penn College 17 10 21 20 — 68

3-point goals: PSU-A 9-30 (McCracken 4-9, Wilt 4-8, Stephens 1-3, McCall 0-3, Irvin 0-7), PCT 3-10 (Valentine 2-3, Andreas 1-2, Theuret 0-1, Galbreath 0-2, Troup 0-2). Fouled out: PSU-A-Sayles; PCT-none. Rebounds: PSU-A 43 (Sayles 10, McCracken 10), PCT 40 (Parlante 10). Assists: PSU-A 17 (Sayles 6),PCT 16 (Andreas 5). Technical fouls: PSU-A-none; PCT-none. Total fouls: PSU-A 25, PCT 12. A: 111.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Kenni Galbreath (0) defends as PS Altoona's Lanie Wilt (24) moves the ball downcourt during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Mia Patterson (34) brings the ball downcourt around PS Altoona's Halle Kuzminski (44) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Kenni Galbreath (0) brings the ball downcourt around PS Altoona's Ellie Irvin (1) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Breana Valentine (22) looks for a shot around PS Altoona's Avana Sayles (33) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Mia Patterson (34) looks for a shot around PS Altoona's Lanie Wilt (24) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Hailey Theuret (3) brings the ball downcourt during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Mia Patterson (22) looks to pass around PS Altoona's Ellie Irvin during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Breana Valentine (22) looks to pass around PS Altoona's Lanie WIlt (24) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's RaeAnna Andreas (21) brings the ball downcourt around PS Altoona's Lanie Wilt (24) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Breana Valentine (22) brings the ball downcourt around PS Altoona's Lanie Wilt (24) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Breana Valentine (22) brings the ball downcourt around PS Altoona's Lanie Wilt (24) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Kayla Herzer (20) brings the ball into the paint around PS Altoona's Halle Kuzminski (33) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Penn College's Breana Valentine (22) brings the ball downcourt around PS Altoona's Avana Sayles (33) during a college basketball game at Bardo Gym on Monday.