Sluggish start and poor shooting key Lion loss at Mt. Aloysius
2.17.07
Penn State Altoona made just 16 field goals in the game and accumulated only nine points in 14 minutes as the squad dropped its final game of the season 75-52 at Mount Aloysius Saturday.  Altoona made a late charge and trailed by only seven (33-26) at intermission.  Andrea Mortimer hit a lay up for the first bucket of the second half to cut the deficit to 33-28 but that would be as close as the Lions would get.  Mount pushed the lead to 12 just four minutes later, then used a 7-0 run capped off by a Gina Reig lay in at the 12:33 mark to stretch the advantage to 55-36.  Lindsey Bush scored a game high 26 points, 15 in the first half, and grabbed six rebounds to front the Lady Mounties.  Brianna Baker had 14, Shana Swan chipped in 11, and Reig hit for 10 in the win, helping Mount end the season at 12-13 overall and 7-11 in conference play.  The Lions finish at 6-19 overall and 4-14 in the AMCC.  Altoona shot an abysmal 6-30 from the field in the second half, hit just 2-14 three pointers, and committed 20 turnovers that led to 19 Mt. Aloysius points.  Brittany Poorman scored a team high 17 points for Altoona while teammates Erin McGowan and Shanise Thornton each scored 10.  The Lions graduate no seniors but do lose five sophomores to University Park to pursue their majors. 

Lion women shoot 32% from field in loss to Pitt-Greensburg
2.15.07
Four Pitt-Greensburg players reached double figures and host Penn State Altoona managed just 32% shooting, 24% from beyond the arc, en route to the 81-59 setback against the Lady Bobcats Thursday night at the Adler Gym.  Greensburg started the game on a 12-2 run and led 23-13 with 9:04 left in the first half.  But a combination of missed shots and stifling Lion defense forced a seven minute dry spell for the visitors, and with 2:36 left in the half, Altoona was ahead 25-23.  The Lady Bobcats closed the half, however, on an 8-0 run fronted by six Tiffany Menhorn points to grab a 31-25 lead at the break.  The Lions tried to battle but were unable to gain any ground throughout the final 20 minutes.  With Altoona down 63-52 at the 5:42 mark of the second half, the squad was outscored 18-7 the rest of the way to set the lopsided final.  Greensburg shot 45% from the field, 51% in the second half, and made 21-31 free throws.  Altoona got to the line only 16 times, converting nine of the freebees.  Menhorn, who earlier this year recorded 1,000 points for her career, led the victors with a game high 19.  Kelsey Wilcox (14), Julie Ehrman (12), and Nicole Reiser (11) pushed Greensburg to the win and a 13-11 overall record.  The Lions, who dropped to 6-17 overall, 4-13 in the conference, and are eliminated from postseason play, got 15 points from Shanise Thornton, 14 from Andrea Mortimer, and 11 points and 8 boards from Erin McGowan.  Altoona has one more contest remaining, a 2 PM showdown with Mount Aloysius in Cresson on Saturday.

Altoona women battle, can't hang with Medaille
2.10.07
Trailing by just 10 at intermission, the Penn State Altoona women's basketball team was outscored 40-24 in the second half by visiting Medaille en route to the 78-52 setback Saturday afternoon.  Three Lady Mavericks hit for double figures, led by two-time AMCC Player of the Year Amanda Baker's 22 points and nine rebounds.  Marisa Clark scored 18 and Amanda Walling added 12 for the AMCC leading Lady Mavs, who improved to 19-4 overall and 15-1 in conference play.  Altoona dropped to 6-17 overall and 4-12 in the conference.  Medaille opened the game on an 8-0 run and led 16-3 at the 13:05 mark of the first half.  The Lions showed great resiliency and staged a 14-0 run to take a 17-16 lead just five minutes later.  But that was the last advantage Altoona would hold as Medaille began a 16-2 run giving the visitors a comfortable cushion heading into the locker room.  Shanise Thornton recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the loss, but no other Lion player tallied more than seven points.  The Mavs shot 49% from the floor in the first half and out-rebounded the smaller Altoona squad 54-37 on the day.  Medaille also found a distinct advantage in the paint, outscoring the hosts 42-18.  Altoona returns to action on Wednesday, February 14, as Pitt-Greensburg comes to the Adler Gym for a 6 PM tip.   

Rebounding, free throw shooting doom Lion women
2.7.07
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team was out-rebounded 52-36 and shot just 12-24 from the free throw line (50%) in a gut wrenching 70-68 loss to visiting Frostburg State Wednesday evening.  Amanda LaPorta was a force to be reckoned with in the paint, scoring 27 points and grabbing five boards.  Teammate Brittney James scored 14 and pulled a game high 16 rebounds.   What kept Altoona alive was eight three point field goals, four by Erin McGowan, compared to none by the visiting Lady Bobcats. With the game tied at 66 and 1:22 remaining, Shanelle Williams drained a jumper and LaPorta converted a lay in to stretch the lead to four.  After two Kirstin Twardon free throws cut the deficit to two, Sidra Bing missed two free throws for Frostburg, giving Altoona a final chance.  But McGowan's three from the top of the key bounced away and the visitors claimed the win.  After Frostburg led most of the first half, Altoona finished the period on a 7-2 run over the last 2:30 to stake a 34-33 advantage at intermission.  The game see-sawed again in the second half, and Altoona held a six point lead thanks to a Jamie Fogelsonger free throw with less than nine minutes to go.  But the Lady Bobcats would outscore the Lions 22-14 from that point on to claim their 14th win of the year while dropping Altoona to 6-16 overall.  Brittany Poorman was one of three Lions in double figures, scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds.  Kirstin Twardon scored 14 and McGowan chipped in 13 in the losing effort.  The Lions return to action Saturday when AMCC power Medaille visits the Adler Gym.  Tip time is 1 PM. 

Lion women have two game winning streak snapped at Behrend
2.3.07
The Penn State Altoona women found points hard to come by Saturday afternoon, falling to Penn State Behrend 79-40 in Erie.  With 7:22 remaining in the first half, the visiting Lions had only five points on the scoreboard while Behrend had 19.  The home Lions led 36-19 at intermission and shot 40% from the field in the period.  Altoona made just 13 field goals in the game and shot 27% from the field.  Penn State Behrend outrebounded the Altoona Lions 44-30, placed four players in double figures, and forced 26 turnovers.  Brittany Mays had 15, Julia Andrus had 13, and two other players scored 10 for Behrend, who improved to 18-2 overall and 13-1 in AMCC play.  Altoona dropped to 6-15 overall and 4-10 in the conference.  Three Lion players had seven points in the losing effort, including Brittany Poorman who also grabbed seven rebounds.  Andrus converted a three point play with 13:16 remaining in the game to stretch the lead to 55-19.  The Behrend advantage reached 42 points with eight minutes and change to play and the squad outscored the visitors 45-21 in the second half.  The Altoona women return home on Wednesday, February 7, as they host Frostburg State at 6 PM. 

Lion women survive surge, run away from Pitt-Bradford
1.31.07
Penn State Altoona shot 50% from the field in the first half and hung on to grab a 71-60 win over visiting Pitt-Bradford Wednesday.  Three players reached double figures for the victors, led by Brittany Poorman's 17.  Erin McGowan netted 15 and Kirstin Twardon scored 14 for Altoona, who improved to 6-14 overall and 4-9 in AMCC play.  Seemingly in control with a 41-30 halftime advantage, Altoona didn't score until two McGowan free throws at the 11:39 mark brought the game even.  Bradford used a 13-0 run over that span to put themselves in prime position for the comeback victory.  But with just 3:57 to play and the home team clinging to a 54-51 lead, Poorman, McGowan, and Andrea Mortimer all converted buckets to increase the lead to 10, 61-51, and seal the Lady Panthers' fate.  Bradford, who only dressed seven players for the contest, was fronted by Katie Moore's 17 points.  Three other players also reached double digits including Megan Richards who scored 10 points and nabbed 16 boards.  Pitt-Bradford shot 32% from the field and connected on just one of nine three pointers.  The Lions hit five threes on the night, three courtesy of McGowan, and committed just 16 turnovers.  Bradford, who fell to 7-11 overall and 6-7 in AMCC play, was 25-35 from the charity stripe while Altoona hit 18 of 25 freebees.  The Lions return to action Saturday for a 4 PM tip at Penn State Behrend.   

Lion women can't overcome slow start, fall to Lake Erie
1.27.07
A slow start and a lack of defensive rebounding were too much to overcome for the Penn State Altoona women as the squad fell 70-51 to Lake Erie Saturday afternoon.  The Lions fell to 4-14 overall and 3-9 in AMCC play while Lake Erie improved to 7-10 and 7-5 in the conference.  With the game tied 2-2, the Lady Storm used an 11-0 run fronted by guards Jalisa Mitchell and Angela Bethel to give the visitors a comfortable 13-2 lead with 16:22 to play in the first period.  Altoona would get no closer than seven the rest of the way and shot just 26% (18-68) from the field.  Despite shooting just 23% in the second half, Lake Erie was on fire in the first stanza, connecting on 17 field goals en route to the 45-26 halftime advantage.  Bethel (18 points, four steals) and Mitchell (17 points, six rebounds) were forces on the perimeter while teammate Loni Sargent grabbed everything on the glass, pulling 15 rebounds and scoring 12 points.  Incredibly, 12 of Sargent's 15 rebounds were on the offensive end, helping LEC to a 20-11 advantage on second chance points.  Shanise Thornton had 13 points and Brittany Poorman scored 12 and grabbed six rebounds in the losing cause.  As a team, the Lions were out-rebounded 56-44 and committed 21 turnovers which led to 19 LEC points.  The Storm closed the first half on a 15-5 run over the last 5:30 of the first half to increase the lead to 21.   

Lack of offense leads to lopsided setback for Altoona women
1.24.07
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team suffered one of its most lopsided losses this year, falling 59-30 at La Roche Wednesday night.  The squad's previous low point total this season was 47 in a setback at Medaille.  The Redhawks held a 29-16 advantage at the half then outscored the visiting Lions 30-14 in the final frame to earn the win.  La Roche never trailed and used a 7-0 run midway through the first half to stake a 19-8 advantage.  The Lions were cold from the field, connecting on just 12-59 field goal attempts (20%).  Brittany Poorman was the high scorer for Altoona with eight while Jamie Fogelsonger and Kirstin Twardon each netted six.  La Roche, who used just seven players, placed three in double figure scoring led by Shauna Browning's 18 points.  Lyndi Miloszewski scored 17 and Marlis Graves chipped in 11 for the victors.  The Lions committed 23 turnovers which led to 20 La Roche points, and shot just 2-14 from three point land.  La Roche put the game well out of reach by outscoring the Lions 13-2 over the first eight minutes of the second stanza.  Altoona dropped to 4-13 overall and 3-8 in AMCC play while La Roche picked up its third win of the year in 17 tries.  The Lion women defeated La Roche 61-54 back in November 29, 2006, in Altoona.  The team's next game will be this Saturday, January 27, against AMCC foe Lake Erie at the Adler Gym.  Women's tip time is 1 PM.

Lady Bobcats jump out early, defeat Lion women
1.17.07
Pitt-Greensburg opened the game on a 10-2 run and would not trail throughout en route to a 73-54 victory over the Penn State Altoona women Wednesday night in Greensburg.  After a Brittany Poorman lay up cut the Lion deficit to three (24-21) with 8:43 left in the first half, Greensburg used a 16-0 run to blow the contest wide open just four minutes later.  Altoona trailed 45-28 at the break and would not get any closer than 16 points the rest of the way.  The Lions were led by Erin McGowan's nine points while four other Altoona players tallied seven.  Lady Bobcat junior Tiffany Menhorn led the winning charge with a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds.  She also eclipsed the 1,000 point plateau for her career late in the first half.  Greensburg placed three other players in double figures with Kelsey Wilcox netting 11, Julie Ehrman scoring 10, and Nicole Reiser also tallying 10.  Altoona shot just 7-41 from the field in the second half for 17%.  Greensburg shot 42% for the game and came up with 16 steals compared to only four Lion swipes.  The Lion bench outscored the Pitt-Greensburg reserves 24-15, but much of the difference was found in the paint, where the home team outscored Altoona 28-14.  The Lion women dropped to 3-12 overall and 2-6 in AMCC play while Greensburg improved to 9-6 overall and 7-2 in the conference.  Penn State Altoona will embark on game two of its three game road swing on Saturday at Hilbert.  Tip time is 2:00 PM.    

Lion women drop hard fought battle to Mount Aloysius
1.15.07
In a back and forth contest that resulted in 60 total turnovers and 50 total fouls, Mount Aloysius came out a 70-66 winner over Penn State Altoona Monday evening in women's college basketball.  Five Lady Mounties reached double figures including Brianna Baker and Lindsey Bush who each scored 12.  After a back and forth opening 10 minutes, the visitors used a 13-0 run capped off by a Baker jumper to stake a commanding 29-15 lead.  But the Lions never quit, and Andrea Mortimer hit a free throw with one second left in the period to cut the halftime deficit to 10 (32-22).  Both teams overcame poor first half free throw shooting and less than 40% field goal shooting on the game to provide an exciting finish for the Adler Gym crowd.  Amber Tinkey's jumper with 11:21 remaining gave Mount a 48-36 lead before a furious Altoona run.  Shanise Thornton scored the first four points of a of an 8-0 run that pulled the Lions to within four (48-44).  Mount stretched the lead back to 11 just minutes later, and Altoona answered with a 10-0 run to trail by one with six minutes and change left.  The Lions actually led by two with 2:05 in the game via an Erin McGowan lay up.  But the Lady Mounties retook the lead for good on two Shana Swan free throws to take a 67-65 advantage with 1:02 to play.  With the visitors ahead by three, McGowan drove the lane and appeared to make the lay in before she was whistled for the offensive foul.  Mortimer led the Lion charge with 18 points and six rebounds while Kirstin Twardon scored 14 and Thornton finished with 10.  Altoona dropped to 3-11 overall and 2-6 in AMCC play while the Lady Mounties improved to 6-7 overall and 3-5 in the conference.  Altoona is back in action on Wednesday as they travel to Pitt-Greensburg for a 6 PM tip.

Women's Basketball drops 72-47 decision at Medaille
1.13.07
Amanda Walling scored 12 points and two-time AMCC Player of the Year Amanda Baker contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds as Medaille College raced past the Penn State Altoona women 72-47 Saturday in Buffalo.  Altoona got off to a slow start and didn't record its first points until a Shanise Thornton jumper at the 13:04 mark of the first half.  The basket catapulted the visiting Lions back into the game, and a Brittany Poorman three pointer at the 8:28 mark gave Altoona a 16-12 lead.  But the powerful Lady Mavs used a 13-0 run that included four players scoring field goals and four Altoona turnovers to grab a 25-16 lead just four minutes later.  Ahead 33-23 at the break, Medaille scored the first 10 points of the second half putting the game well out of reach.  The inside play of the home team was too much for the smaller Lions, as Medaille outscored Penn State Altoona 44-16 in the paint.  Lisa Makings came off the Altoona bench to pump in 17 points on 7-15 shooting.  Erin McGowan and Shanise Thornton chipped in with eight.  Altoona shot just 29.7% from the field compared to over 40% by the Lady Mavs.  13 different Medaille players saw at least three minutes of playing time in the contest as the squad improved to 10-4 overall and 6-1 in AMCC play.  Penn State Altoona dropped to 3-10 overall and 2-5 in conference competition.  The Lions have a quick turn around as Mount Aloysius comes to the Adler Gym on Monday, January 15, for a 6 PM contest.

Poor shooting night dooms Lion women
1.8.06
Connecting on just 17 of 74 field goals (23%) Monday evening, the Lion women's basketball team dropped an 81-48 non-conference decision at St. Vincent's College.  Shanise Thornton's jumper at the 17:40 mark gave the Lions a 4-2 lead before the Lady Bearcats used a decisive 16-0 run over the next four minutes to break the game wide open.  Altoona trailed 41-22 at the half and did cut the lead to 13 (42-29) just minutes into the second stanza.  But the home team used a 13-2 run capped off by a Maura Wahl jumper to extend the lead to 24 points and send the Lions on their way to a seventh straight defeat.  Freshman Andrea Mortimer and Junior Brittany Poorman each had 12 points in the losing cause.  St. Vincent's was led by Laura Klimchock's 22 points and four steals while teammate Christina Paolino chipped in 15 and grabbed 12 boards.  Altoona dropped to 2-9 while the Lady Bearcats improved to 3-7.  St. Vincent's shot 43.5 percent from the field, connecting on 30 of its 69 field goal attempts, and recorded 22 total assists on the night compared to nine by the visitors.  Altoona is back in action on Wednesday as it travels to Frostburg State University for a 6:00 PM tip off with the Lady Bobcats.

Slow start sinks Lion women against Penn State Behrend
1.6.07
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team fell behind early and was never able to recover, falling 76-59 at the hands of Penn State Behrend Saturday afternoon in Altoona.  The Lions from Behrend opened the game on a 7-0 run and led 13-2 before the home team got hardly any offensive output.  Freshman guard Andrea Mortimer scored the first four points of a 10-0 Altoona run that made the game interesting for most of the first half.  But Behrend used a good Anne Priester lay up with 1:07 to play in the period to extend the visitors' lead to 10 before the break.  Leading 35-27 at the half, Behrend again came out of the locker room by using a 7-0 run capped off by a Kayla McLaughlin three pointer to increase the lead to 15.  The lead remained in double digits throughout the half as Altoona was unable to get any closer than eight.  Mortimer had another career game, netting 18 points, grabbing five boards, and nabbing four steals.  Juniors Brittany Poorman and Erin McGowan chipped in with 13 apiece.  Behrend also placed three players in double digits led by Brittany Mays' 18 points.  Altoona made just 16 field goals on the day compared to 25 by the visitors.  Both teams were spectacular from the free throw line in what was an extremely physical contest.  Behrend shot 24-31 from the stripe while Altoona 25-30 in the losing effort.  Altoona is back in action on Monday as they travel to St. Vincents College in Latrobe for a non-conference showdown at 7 PM.  The squad returns to AMCC play on Wednesday, January 10, for a 6 PM tip at Frostburg State.

Lion women make late surge but fall to Lycoming
12.17.06
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team had its chances in the closing seconds, but were unable to upend visiting Lycoming, falling 70-67 Sunday afternoon at the Adler Gym.  The difference was behind the three point line, as Altoona made just 3 of 19 (15%) treys on the afternoon compared to 8-18 (44%) by the Lady Warriors.  The final minutes proved exciting as the Lions made a late surge after trailing by nine with 3:47 to play.  Brittany Poorman scored four of nine points in a 9-2 run that helped Altoona get within two with just 57 seconds to play.  After two Allison Mock free throws for Lycoming, Andrea Mortimer converted a three point play with 44 ticks left to close the gap to one.  But Mock drained two more free throws, finishing the day with a game-high 20 points, and Altoona was unable to convert on two different possessions as the squad fell to 2-7 overall.  All fourteen Lady Warrior players registered at least three minutes of court time as the team improved to 5-5 overall. Hollidaysburg product Andrea Cooper chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds in the winning effort.  The Lions used a different starting lineup than the first eight games that included freshmen Andrea Mortimer, Morgan Dougherty, and Nikki Davis.  Mortimer netted a career high 17 points and grabbed five rebounds while Davis scored seven and pulled 11 boards.  Shanise Thornton (15 points, 9 rebounds) and Lisa Makings (10 points, 5 rebounds) also reached double figures for Altoona.  After the Lions led by nine with 3:53 left in the first half, the Lady Warriors used a 9-0 run to tie the game at 27 heading into intermission.  Lycoming led by 13 midway through the second half before the Altoona rally.  The Lions return after winter break to meet Penn State Behrend on January 6 at the Adler Gymnasium.  Tip time for the women's game is 2:00 PM with the men's contest against Behrend to follow at 4.   

Altoona women drop fourth straight at Lake Erie
12.9.06
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team was unable to snap a three game losing streak Saturday afternoon, dropping a 71-54 decision to Lake Erie College.  With the Lions trailing 13-10 at the 13:29 mark of the first half, the Lady Storm used a decisive 11-0 run to pull away for good.  Altoona battled the rest of the period and trailed 34-23 at the half.  But Lake Erie dispelled any comeback ideas, using a 12-0 run out of the locker room to put the contest out of reach.  Lady Storm guard Jalisa Mitchell notched 10 of those 12 points and finished the day with a game high 23 on 8 of 12 shooting.  Angela Bethel chipped in 16 for Lake Erie as they improved to 2-5 overall and 2-2 in AMCC play.  The Lions, fronted by Nikki Davis' 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench, dropped to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in AMCC play.  Erin McGowan chipped in 10 points in the losing cause.  Altoona turned the ball over 27 times on the day and shot just 2-11 from three point land.  This concluded a brutal three game road trip for the Lion women, who rest until Sunday, December 17, when Lycoming comes to the Adler Gym for a 2:00 PM tip-off. 

Lion women fall behind early, downed by Pitt-Bradford
12.6.06
Enduring its second long road trip in the last three nights, the Penn State Altoona women's basketball team fell to AMCC foe Pitt-Bradford 64-51 Wednesday evening in Bradford.  The contest was one sided from the start, as the Lady Panthers used a decisive 9-0 run to pull away for good less than five minutes into the game.  After Altoona's Erin McGowan converted a three point play that gave the Lions a 3-2 lead at the 18:29 mark, Bradford would outscore the visitors 34-17 the rest of the first period to stake a 36-20 halftime advantage.  Andrea Mortimer's jumper pulled Altoona to within six at the 12:12 mark of the second half, but the resilient Lady Panthers answered with a 10-2 run that ballooned the lead to 14.  Junior Brittany Poorman netted a team high 13 points and McGowan chipped in with 12 points and four boards.  Forward Taiasha Brown was a force for the home team, recording an impressive 21 points and 14 rebounds on the evening.  Katie Moore also played well for Bradford, draining 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting.  Altoona made only six of its 25 field goal attempts in the first half and was out-rebounded 46-26.  The Lions, who drop to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in AMCC play, finish out the three game road trip on Saturday as they travel to Lake Erie College for a 1:00 PM tip.  

Women's Basketball drops nail biter at Waynesburg
12.4.06
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball nearly pulled off the upset of Waynesburg College Monday evening, but fell to the host Yellow Jackets in the closing seconds 61-59.  The back and forth contest culminated with a Brittany Poorman three pointer at the 1:30 mark that gave the visitors a 59-58 advantage.  After Katie Lewandowski hit one of two free throws for Waynesburg, tying the game with 21 seconds to play, a costly turnover and subsequent Lewandowski lay up sealed the fate of the young Lion squad.  Poorman's last second three point attempt fell short as Altoona dropped to 2-4 overall and remained 1-1 in AMCC play.  After the Lady Yellow Jackets led 13-4 with 14:11 to play in the first half, the Lions outscored the home team 23-10 the rest of the period to stake a 27-23 halftime advantage.  Altoona would hold the lead until 11:31 to play in the game when the two units began to interchange leads.  Sophomore guard Shanise Thornton scored a team high 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the losing effort.  Poorman chipped in with 14 points and seven boards of her own.  Waynesburg placed three players in double figures, led by Jenna Pratte's 14.  Lewandowski (13 points, 4 assists) and Sarah Gossett (11 points, four boards) rounded out the Lady Jacket attack.  Statistically, the two teams were nearly even, and Altoona committed a season low 15 turnovers on the evening.  Waynesburg, playing in its home opener, improved to 3-4 overall.  The Lions hit the road on Wednesday for a 6:00 PM tip against Pitt-Bradford in a critical AMCC battle. 

Lion women edged by Hilbert
12.2.06
In a back and forth contest with a perfect 2-0 conference record on the line, the Penn State Altoona women's basketball team was unable to erase a late deficit en route to a 58-54 loss against Hilbert College Saturday afternoon in Altoona.  The Lions were unable to find a rhythm shooting the basketball and had trouble stopping the inside attack of the Lady Hawks.  After trailing much of the first half, Hilbert used a 6-0 run in the last two minutes to take a 28-24 lead into the locker room.  The Lions fell behind by as many as seven with six minutes and change to play.  After Altoona held a 54-53 lead with 2:28 to play, the Lady Hawks swished five free throws down the stretch while holding the home team without a point.  The difference could be found inside the paint, as forwards Amanda McHale and Lucy Zver carried the offensive load for the winners.  Zver netted 18 points and yanked 15 rebounds while McHale scored 11 points and pulled eight boards before fouling out with three minutes to play.  The Lions were led by Brittany Poorman's 14 points.  Eight other players scored for Altoona, including Shanise Thornton and Andrea Mortimer who tallied eight points a piece.  The Lions, who fell to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the AMCC, shot just 34% from the field including 3-18 from three point range.  Hilbert picked up its first win of the season after starting 0-5.  The Lions hit the road for a pair of games next week, beginning with a Wednesday night trip to Pitt-Bradford.  Game time is 6:00 PM.

Women's Basketball slides by La Roche
11.29.06
A balanced Penn State Altoona attack helped the Lion women's basketball team to its second win of the season and first in AMCC play.  The Lions downed La Roche 61-54 in both squad's AMCC openers Wednesday night in front of a raucous crowd at the Adler Gymnasium.  Nine Lion players notched at least 10 minutes of playing time and eight of them found the net.  Leading the way for Altoona was junior guard Erin McGowan, who pumped in a game high 18 points and handed out four assists.  She was aided by Kirstin Twardon's 11 points and Jamie Fogelsonger's nine.  After leading by as many as 11 in the first half, Altoona found themselves ahead by only two (27-25) at the intermission.  The Hawks made a strong push out of the gate to begin the second half, using a 5-0 run to stake a 30-27 lead with 18:39 to play.  After a Twardon three pointer for the Lions tied the contest at 33, Altoona would never trail again and slowly increase the lead to set the final.  The difference may have been right after the opening tip, as Penn State Altoona scored 11 straight points before La Roche even cracked the scoreboard.  The Hawks shot a dismal 18 of 62 from the field on the night and connected on just six of their 25 three pointers.  Both teams committed ample turnovers, with the Lions handing over 32 possessions and the Hawks giving 26 back.  For La Roche, Ashleigh Sawicki and Shauna Browning scored 13 a piece and Shakeeya Simmons chipped in 11.  Altoona improved to 2-2 overall, 1-0 in AMCC play, and will host Hilbert on Saturday, December 2, at 2:00 PM. 

Turnovers plague Lion women in loss at Juniata
11.21.06
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team could not overcome a season-high 33 turnovers Tuesday night at Juniata en route to the 89-49 non-conference setback. The Lions were up 18-17 with 8:54 left in the first half before things slowly began to unravel.  Sparked by an Ali Meckey three-pointer, the Lady Eagles reeled off 14 straight points and were ahead 31-18 just four minutes later.  Juniata took a 42-28 into halftime and would never let Altoona get back in the game.  Juniata began the second half on a 7-0 run before two Erin McGowan free throws cut the deficit with 15:52 remaining.  The Lions sliced the lead down to 14 at the 13:00 mark but that was as close as the Lady Eagles allowed, outscoring Altoona 39-13 to set the final.  Shanise Thornton was the only Penn State Altoona player in double figures, netting 16 points on 8 of 11 shooting.  Brittany Poorman and Kirstin Twardon each chipped in with nine.  For the Lady Eagles, who made 11 three-pointers in the game, Meckey was the sparkplug, tallying a game-high 25 points including seven treys.  She was aided by Claudia McDowell (17 points, 6 assists), Jess Winemiller (16 points, 4 rebounds), and Kelly Ashcraft (10 points, 9 rebounds) as the Lady Eagles improved to 3-0 on the young season.  Altoona, who fell to 1-2 overall, will return from Thanksgiving break to host La Roche in the team's AMCC opener on November 29.  Tip off for the women's game is set for 6:00 PM. 

Lion women fall in championship of F & M Tournament
11.19.06
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team was overmatched Sunday afternoon in the championship of the Franklin & Marshall Tip-Off Tournament, falling to an experienced Carnegie Mellon squad 86-60.  The result was similar to last season's meeting, an 85-55 win for Carnegie Mellon in Altoona.  The Lady Tartans would never trail in this year's game and used a pair of 7-0 and 6-0 runs in the first 20 minutes to stake a comfortable 41-26 lead at halftime.  Led by tournament MVP Colleen Light who netted 21 points by shooting 66% from the field, the Lady Tartans locked in defensively, holding the Lions to just one field goal over a seven minute stretch midway through the second half.  Despite falling behind by as many as 26 and committing 19 turnovers that led to 26 CMU points, a determined Altoona squad continued to battle.  Brittany Poorman scored a team-high 12 points while teammates Shanise Thornton and Andrea Mortimer each tallied 10 in the losing cause.  Thornton was named to the All-Tournament team for her efforts, compiling 28 points over the two days.  For CMU, Leah Feola scored 16 points, Ashley Rothwell had 12, and Stacie Aleski netted 11 to compliment Light's game-high 21.  As a team, the Lions were out-rebounded 48-34 and outscored 38-14 in the paint by a taller and physically punishing Lady Tartan bunch.  With the loss, Penn State Altoona drops to 1-1 on the season and will travel to non-conference foe Juniata College on Tuesday night for a 6:00 tip. 

Women's Basketball optimistic for 2006-2007 campaign  (SEASON PREVIEW)
11.14.06
The Penn State Altoona women's basketball team will take the floor this season with a renewed commitment to return to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference playoffs.  The Lions return six players from last year's 6-18 squad, including its two leading scorers.  Second year head coach Donna Kling wants to establish a level of respect for both the team and the women's basketball program through a combination of hard work and team unity.  "As a whole, the team has established goals of improving each day at practice and with each game in terms of individual and team play," stated Kling, whose squad finished eighth in the AMCC last year and barely missed the playoffs. "The players and coaches are determined to work hard and devote effort to our goals while developing a sense of 'family.'   (Read More)

Men's and Women's basketball preseason polls released
11.3.06
The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference released the 2006-2007 men's and women's basketball preseason coaches' poll on Thursday afternoon.  The Penn State Altoona women were picked to finish eighth in the ten team conference while the Lion men were forecasted to finish ninth.  These are the exact same spots that both teams finished in last season.  On the women's side, last year's champion Medaille was picked to win the conference while Frostburg State and Pitt-Greensburg were chosen second and third respectively.  The men's poll has Penn State Behrend returning to the top of the AMCC after a third place finish last year.  Lake Erie (second) and Hilbert (third) round out the top three.  To view the full men's and women's preseason polls as well as players to watch in 2006-2007, Click Here.