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

MONT ALTO, Pa. – The Penn State Mont Alto women's basketball team committed a season-high 36 turnovers against PSU Lehigh Valley's press defense in a 87-59 home loss on Tuesday evening. Lehigh Valley (5-3, 2-1 PSUAC) led from start to finish using a balanced offensive attack with 33 bench points and three starters finished in double figures.

Lehigh Valley opened on a 10-0 run before a Rebekah Adams (York, Pa. / Central York) jumper got Mont Alto on the board. Mont Alto was able to keep the score close in the final few minutes of the quarter after a pair of jumpers from Alexis Shaffer (Hagerstown, Md. / South Hagerstown) and Karley Coleman (Hanover, Pa. / Delone Catholic), but the visitors tightened up their defense and picked up steam. Lehigh Valley ended the first with a 14-point lead at 27-13.

Mont Alto played solid defense of their own in the second holding Lehigh Valley to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, but were still out-scored 17-14 with visiting Lions holding the 44-27 halftime lead.

Converting turnovers to layups in their full-court press defense, PSU Lehigh Valley gained a comfortable 38-point lead in the second half. Ebony Sanders had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds and Andrea Watkins poured in 18 points.

Angel Schoonover (Woodhull, N. Y. / Jasper-Troupsburg) made her season debut for Mont Alto and scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting in 24 minutes off the bench. Charity Miller (Greencastle, Pa. / James Buchanan) nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine boards.

Mont Alto (3-5, 0-2 PSUAC) hit the road in its next contest on Friday against PSU Schuylkill. Tip off is slated for 6 p.m.