(CRESSON, PA:)  Both teams shot better than 43% from the field, and eight different players reached double figures as Mount Aloysius staved off a late Penn State Altoona rally to nip the Lions 86-83 Monday evening.  The Lady Mounties improved to 8-6 overall and 4-5 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference while Altoona dropped to 6-8 and 4-4 in the AMCC.

Mount Aloysius led for 35 of the game's 40 minutes and found themselves comfortably ahead by nine (86-77) with 34 seconds remaining.  Lion sophomore Alicia Glasser (Marion Center, PA/Marion Center) drained a three pointer with 16 ticks left, and senior Erin McGowan (Duncansville, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) hit another off a Lady Mountie giveaway with seven seconds on the clock.  A second Mount turnover gave Glasser a chance to tie the game, but her three pointer with four seconds left failed to draw net.

Altoona native Lindsey Bush scored a game-high 29 points for Mount Aloysius, and teammate Brianna Baker scored 24 and yanked 13 rebounds.  Shana Swan chipped in 11 for the Lady Mounties, who out-rebounded the visitors 42-24 and got 14 second chance points.

Five players reached double figures for Penn State Altoona led by McGowan's 25 points on 10-13 shooting.  Freshman Courtney Carroll (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) netted 16 and passed out six assists while classmate Natalie Sheehan (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop) had 12 and went 8-8 at the free throw line.  Glasser and sophomore Andrea Mortimer (Rimersburg, PA/Union) each scored 11 for the Lions, who shot 54.5% from the field in the second half (18-33).

The Lions connected on 10-26 shots from behind the arc compared to just 5-13 makes by the Lady Mounties.  But the hosts did hold a 38-24 advantage in the paint and made 19 of their 27 free throws in the second half.

Altoona opened the game on a 6-2 run but held their last advantage of the game (13-12) less than five minutes into the first half.  Mount Aloysius led 38-31 at the break and used a Baker lay up midway through the second period to grab its largest lead of the night at 12 (55-43).

Penn State Altoona returns to action this Wednesday, January 23, when AMCC foe Pitt-Greensburg visits the Adler Gym for a 6:00 PM tip. 

CONTACT:        Penn State Altoona Sports Information
                           Steve Crider  --  SID
                           814-949-5173
                           sac310@psu.edu