(BRADFORD, PA:)  Visiting Penn State Altoona outscored Pitt-Bradford 41-28 over the final 16 minutes and overcame a 10 point second half deficit to beat the Lady Panthers 73-68 Wednesday night.  The Lions improved to 10-10 overall and 7-6 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference while Bradford fell to 4-16 and 2-11 in the AMCC.

Leading 29-28 at intermission, the host Panthers began the second half on a 14-3 run to grab a 42-32 advantage with 16:06 remaining.  Altoona answered by scoring the next 10 points capped off by an Alicia Glasser (Marion Center, PA/Marion Center) three pointer to even the score less than three minutes later.

The squads exchanged leads eight times in the final period, but a Natalie Sheehan (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop) jumper at the 5:59 mark gave the visitors a decisive 65-54 advantage.  Bradford chipped away and found themselves down a single point (69-68) with 1:40 to play.  But the Lady Panthers committed three turnovers on their last four possessions, and Lion senior Erin McGowan (Duncansville, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) and freshman Courtney Carroll (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) each hit a pair of freebees to preserve the win.

Neither team jumped ahead by more than six in the opening half as Altoona led almost the entire way.  Glasser had eight of her 13 points in the first period, and the Lions shot 11-31 from the floor (35.5%) and 4-10 from behind the arc (40%).  Bradford was a dismal 8-30 (26.7%) from the floor in half number one but did connect on 10-12 free throws.

McGowan finished with a team-high 17 points and made 8-10 at the charity stripe for the victors.  Sheehan, who played sparingly Saturday at Lake Erie and missed the previous two games due to injury, scored 15, and fellow freshman Kelli Steiner (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) added 10 off the bench.  The Lion reserves outscored Pitt-Bradford's bench 26-6 and held a 22-12 advantage in the painted area.

Bradford senior Katie Moore, the league's leading scorer, netted a game-high 23 points on just 6-21 shooting.  Moore hit 10-12 free throws and also grabbed seven rebounds.  Teammate Amanda Williams had a double-double with 20 points and 10 boards while Michelle Cushner tallied 12.

The Lions shot 51.9% from the field in the second half (14-27) and 13-16 from the foul line.  For the night, Altoona shot 43% FG and got 16 points off 11 Panther miscues.

Penn State Altoona is just one game away from clinching an AMCC playoff spot for the first time since 2004.  The squad returns to action this Saturday, February 9, for a 2:00 PM date with Penn State Behrend at the Adler Gym.

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