By: Frank Maira, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director
MONT ATLO, Pa. – Winning their fifth in their last seven games, the Penn State Mont Alto women's basketball team ran away with the game in the third quarter for the 63-54 victory over PSU Hazleton. The PSUMA campus celebrated a Blue and White Appreciation Night honoring all staff, faculty and students as there was a Spirit Competition during halftime of the men's game on Tuesday.
With the conference win, Mont Alto improved to 6-11 overall and 3-9 within the PSUAC. Mont Alto started the game on a 6-0 run that was capped off by a Kyah Rucker (Harrisburg, Pa. / Susquehanna Township) layup. Hazleton got itself back into the game and grabbed the lead at 10-8 with 2:10 left in the first quarter. They went back and forth with the visitors hitting a pair of free throws from Katura McCorkle to close the quarter with a 14-13 lead.
Neither Penn State Hazleton (6-12, 5-7 PSUAC) or Mont Alto could buy a bucket for much of the second period, but a strong PSUMA run to close the quarter saw them own a 27-24 halftime lead.
Mont Alto's defense out of the break caused Hazleton problems as they forced six turnovers and held them to just 2-of-16 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Madison Bishop (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) netted 10 of her team-best 19 points within the third quarter. Bishop splashed a jumper in the paint to put her team up 46-34 with just over 30 seconds left in the third period.
The teams played even ball to open the fourth, but Hazleton chipped away into PSUMA's lead and trimmed the score to 58-53. After a Coach Miller timeout with just over a minute left to play, Mont Alto broke the press and Jesime Freet (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle) had an easy layup that put the game out of reach.
Freet finished with 12 points, while fellow forward Mariah Martin (Shippensburg, Pa. / Shippensburg) chipped in 12 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Mont Alto held PSU Hazleton to 25.8 percent shooting from the field and Scarlet Vargas had a team-high 13 points.
Mont Alto has a pivotal weekend in store when they travel to Penn State Greater Allegheny on Friday before taking on Penn State Fayette on the road on Saturday.
