Women’s Basketball Takes a Close Loss Against PSU Greater Allegheny

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

MONT ALTO, Pa. – In a Tuesday evening Penn State University Athletic Conference matchup, Mont Alto went bucket for bucket with the visiting PSU Greater Allegheny women's basketball team.  After four minutes of play, Mont Alto dropped a nail biter as PSUGA outscored them by seven in the third quarter and that was the difference in a 72-65 loss.

Inside the Box Score

• Karley Coleman (Hanover, Pa. / Delone Catholic) returned to the lineup and scored a team-high 16 points for Mont Alto. Coleman hit a couple of momentum changing 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as she also finished with six boards. 
• Four of Mont Alto's five starters finished in double figures with Julianne Noveras (Gaithersburg, Md. / Gaithersburg) scoring 12, Madison Bishop (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) pouring in 11, and Mariah Martin (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) chipping in 10 points.
• Mont Alto shot a season-best 45.0 percent from long distance. However, the team left several points at the foul line, finishing the night with a combined shooting total of 20-for-37.
• Penn State Greater Allegheny was held to just 26.2 percent shooting from the floor, but also collected 36 offensive rebounds, which afforded the team several second chance opportunities. Four of the five starters for PSUGA finished in double figures with Teria Hartley leading all scorers with 17, while Lexus Santiago recorded a double-double with 11 points and 17 rebounds.

How it Happened

• The first half turned out to be a series of mini runs with the teams going into the halftime break tied at 35 points apiece. Penn State Greater Allegheny was able to hang around in large part to attempting 44 shots compared to PSUMA's 24.
• Mont Alto's free throw shooting let them down especially in the third quarter with the Lions only converting on 4-of-9 attempts.
• Karley Coleman (Hanover, Pa. / Delone Catholic) sparked a fourth quarter run with a pair of 3-pointers, but PSUGA hit their free throws down the stretch and held on for the 72-65 final.

Penn State Mont Alto  (3-10, 0-7 PSUAC) return to action on Friday, January 18 in a home contest against PSU York. Game time is slated for 6 p.m.