Women’s Basketball Storm Past Crusaders For First Win of the Season

By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director

MONT ALTO, Pa. – After a combined cold shooting first quarter the Penn State Mont Alto women's basketball team steadily found it's footing and pulled away past Christendom College by a 53-27 score on Tuesday evening. The win marked the first of the season as three different players finished in double figures for the Nittany Lions. 

Inside the Box Score

• Mariah Martin (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) paced all scorers with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field. The freshman forward also finished with three rebounds and three steals. High school teammate Kara Newell (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) flashed excellent chemistry with Martin as she finished her evening with 12 points, three assists and three steals.
• Mont Alto produced a season-high 25 steals with Kyah Rucker (Harrisburg, Pa. / Susquehanna Township) contributing a team best nine takeaways.
• Senior guard Karley Coleman (Hanover, Pa. / Delone Catholic) stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, six rebounds, six steals and a pair of assists.
• Gemma McMahon finished with a team best nine points for Christendom.

How it Happened

• Both teams struggled from the field in the first quarter with Mont Alto only shooting 23.1 percent, however they were able to gain the early lead by forcing nine Crusader turnovers. Mariah Martin (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) scored six of her teams 11 points as they carried an 11-6 lead into the second quarter.
• Julianne Noveras (Gaithersburg, Md. / Gaithersburg) knocked down a triple from downtown for the first basket of the second as the Lions held Christendom to just 6-of-22 shooting within the quarter.
• PSUMA came out of halftime with a couple of adjustments with Jazmin Walker (Hanover, Pa. / Southwestern) knocking down an early jumper. Offensively they had their best period of the game outscoring the visitors by a 24-10 margin to carry a 46-20 lead into the final period.
• The Nittany Lions built their largest lead of the game at 30 points within the fourth quarter as they coasted home to the 53-27 win.

Mont Alto (1-2) returns to action on Thursday, November 15 when it hosts nearby Wilson College for a non-conference matchup. Game time from the MAC Gym is slated for 7 p.m.