(ALTOONA, PA:)  Penn State Altoona placed three players in double figures and used a 15-0 run early in the second half to push past La Roche 65-52 Wednesday evening at the Adler Gym.  The Lions improved to 8-9 overall and 6-5 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference while the Redhawks dropped to 12-6 and 7-4 in the AMCC.

The visitors led 25-22 at intermission and opened the second half on a 5-1 run to stake a 30-23 advantage with 17:36 to play.  That's when things fell apart for the Hawks, who wouldn't score again for more than six minutes while the Lions hit three long balls as part of the 15-0 run to turn the tables and go ahead 38-30. 

Senior guard Erin McGowan (Duncansville, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) and sophomore forward Alicia Glasser (Marion Center, PA/Marion Center) each scored 20 while teammate Andrea Mortimer (Rimersburg, PA/Union) added 13.  McGowan and Mortimer each finished with nine rebounds, and Glasser, who was a perfect 10-10 at the charity stripe, set a new single-game record for most free throws made without a miss.

Free throw shooting helped the hosts stave off any La Roche comeback thoughts.  After going 0-2 in the first half, Penn State Altoona made 22 of their 28 attempts over the final 20 minutes including 10-12 in the final 1:21.  The Redhawks, conversely, were just 11-20 on the game for 55%.

La Roche got 13 points from Ashley Heakins and 12 from Staci Menzies.  Jaquaylla Kessler added 11 but shot just 4-19 from the field in 34 minutes of action.  Redhawk standout guard Marlis Graves, who leads the team in scoring, was held without a point and committed six turnovers, also in 34 minutes of court time.

Altoona had a 16-6 lead midway through the first half before the Redhawks chipped away and took their first lead (23-22) at the 3:03 mark off a Menzies bucket.  The hosts were held scoreless over the final 6:43 of the opening period but still found themselves only down by three at the break.

The Redhawks were a dismal 19-58 from the field on the day (32.8%) compared to 19-47 (40.4%) shooting by the victors.  Penn State Altoona out-rebounded an opponent for only the fourth time this season, grabbing 39 boards on the night.

The Lions turned 23 La Roche turnovers into 21 points and held a 10-2 advantage on fastbreak points.  The Redhawk reserves did outscore the Lion bench 32-22 and held a 13-7 edge on the offensive boards.

Penn State Altoona has a quick turnaround as it hosts non-conference foe Lancaster Bible College tomorrow at the Adler Gym.  Tip time is 6:00 PM.

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