(ALTOONA, PA:) Sophomore Andrea Mortimer (Rimersburg,
PA/Union) scored a career-high 25 points, and Penn State Altoona watched a
comfortable double digit lead nearly disappear down the stretch as the Lions
narrowly held off Waynesburg 65-60 Saturday afternoon at the Adler Gym.
The Lions won their fifth straight game and improved to 5-4 overall while
Waynesburg dropped to 1-7.
The visiting Yellow Jackets, trailing 54-42 with under nine
minutes remaining in the game, began an 8-0 run with a Michaelene Jones jumper
and got to within five (54-49) on a Kristin Lucci free throw at the 5:17 mark.
After Jones connected on a foul shot with 2:43 left to cut the deficit to 55-52,
the Lions would hit eight freebees of their own to secure the lead and set the
final.
The Lions made just one field goal in the final eight-and-a-half
minutes of the game but were able to score 21 points off Yellow Jacket miscues
and net 22 points in the paint. The visitors failed to help themselves at
the charity stripe, making just 12-27 for 44.4%, and committed 27 turnovers
including two traveling calls just prior to made three point baskets in the
final minutes.
Neither team shot particularly well as the Lions finished 21-65
from the field (32.3%) and 6-26 from beyond the arc (15.4%). Waynesburg
made 20 field goals in 52 attempts for 38.5% and hit eight of its 13 three point
tries (61.5%).
Altoona led 34-27 at intermission and used a 12-2 run out of the
halftime locker room to grab a 46-29 lead with 16 minutes remaining.
Waynesburg immediately countered with a 6-0 run and cut the deficit to single
digits (51-42) thanks to an Elisha Jones free throw.
Mortimer checked into the contest and scored six points in a 9-0
spurt that gave the hosts an early 12-4 lead. Her output helped the Lion
reserves outscore Waynesburg's bench 37-19.
Penn State Altoona trailed twice in the game at 2-0 and 4-2.
Freshman Courtney Carroll (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) chipped in 10 points
while seniors Erin McGowan (Duncansville, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) and Brittany
Poorman (Altoona, PA/Altoona) added eight apiece.
Waynesburg was fronted by Johnna Deco's 17 points and nine
rebounds. She also was a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc as teammate
Jeannette Wonsettler canned one long ball en route to 10 points. The
Yellow Jackets won the battle of the boards 49-36 and turned 13 offensive
rebounds into 15 second-chance points.
Penn State Altoona will have more than a three week lay off
until its next game at Lycoming on January 7, 2008. Tip time in
Williamsport is 7:00 PM.
CONTACT: Penn
State Altoona Sports Information
Steve Crider -- SID
814-949-5173
sac310@psu.edu
