Women’s Basketball Stumbles in PSUAC Opening Loss to Greater Allegheny

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

MONT ALTO, Pa. – The Penn State Mont Alto women's basketball team never really hit their stride on Tuesday as the squad dropped the PSUAC opener to Penn State Greater Allegheny by a 67-59 score. The loss dropped Mont Alto to 1-2 overall.

Inside the Box Score

• Four out of the five starters for PSUGA finished in double figures including Da'Neisha Williams who scored a team-high 23 points. Backcourt mate Jayla Ellis grabbed a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
• Mont Alto was held to 32.4 percent shooting from the field and connected on just 3-of-19 from downtown.  The squad was forced into 25 turnovers, which led to 22 points.
• Sophomore forward Mariah Martin (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) had another solid performance for Mont Alto with her second double-double of the season. She poured in a game-high 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
• Grace Banfe (Greencastle, Pa. / Shalom Christian Academy) scored 12 and Madison Bishop (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) chipped in 10 points.
• PSUMA scored just 18 points in the first half compared to 41 in the third and fourth quarters.

How it Happened

• It took Mont Alto a little under four minutes to make their first basket, which was a Mariah Martin (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) layup that made it 5-3. It was a cold shooting quarter for both teams with the visitors shooting 33.3% compared to PSUMA's 26.7%. Greater Allegheny took a 15-9 lead into the second quarter.
• Madison Bishop (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) hit a trey to cut into the visiting Lions deficit to make it 17-12 with 8:14 remaining in the half. Greater Allegheny ran away towards the end of quarter and took a 33-18 lead into the break.
• The teams traded turnovers and buckets to open the third quarter. Two-straight fast break layups from Da'Neisha Williams gave PSUGA the 41-22 lead and forced a Mont Alto timeout. The visitors went on another run, this time 7-0 and went into the decisive period with a 48-35 lead.
• An old fashioned 3-point play that was converted by Madison Bishop (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) made it 63-55 with Mont Alto coming alive late in the quarter. Greater Allegheny put the game away down the stretch and held on for the 67-59 final.

Mont Alto returns to action on Saturday, November 23 in a road matchup with Penn State New Kensington. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.