Chambersburg, PA- The Penn St. Berks Women's Basketball Team could not complete a late second half rally, falling to Wilson Conference by a score of 76-72 in their United East opener on Wednesday, Dec. 4.  

The Lions (0-6 Overall, 0-1 UE) got off to a slow start, falling behind 9-0 in the opening two minutes. Ashlyn Clark halted the run, finishing a layup off a great pass from Hailey Miller. Morgan Dunbar and Liberty Stitzman converted back-to-back baskets, slashing the Pheonix (3-4 Overall, 2-0 UE) advantage down to five. Gianna Roberts swished a jump shot to make the score 13-9. Wilson went on a 9-3 run to pull back ahead by 10 points. Miller converted a pair of free throws and Roberts finished a layup in the final seconds of the quarter, but the Lions trailed 22-16 at the break.

Mahala Ruffner opened the second quarter scoring, finishing a lay up in the paint. Moments later, Roberts drained a 3-pointer to bring the Lions back within two points. Wilson battled back, rattling off six-straight points to retake an eight-point advantage. Miller stopped the run, hitting a 3-pointer. Roberts continued her big first half, hitting two free throws and then drilling a 3-pointer to level the score at 31. After the Pheonix scored six straight points, Clark closed the first half by hitting a 3-pointer, making the score 37-34 at the half.

Wilson extended their advantage early in the third quarter, leading by as many as eight points. Berks began chipping away at the deficit, with Gabrielle Merritt swishing from a jump shot from beyond the arc to cut the lead down to three. Later in the quarter, Merritt hit another 3-pointer, but the Lions trailed 56-47 heading into the final frame.

Trailing by 14 points with 7:12 remaining in the game, Berks made a huge push. Clark started the rally, hitting a 3-pointer in transition. Dunbar drew a foul on a layup and converted a three-point play. Dunbar then hit a 3-pointer, slashing the deficit down nine. Roberts then converted a layup in transition and Dunbar hit another 3-pointer to bring the Lions within seven. Down by eight with 2:19 remaining, Miller made a layup. Clark swished a 3-pointer on the next possession, cutting the Pheonix's lead down to three. Berks finally tied the score, with Clark knocking down a jump shot with only 41 seconds remaining. Wilson scored the final four points of the game, securing the 76-72 victory.

Roberts posted the best performance of young career, playing all 40 minutes, scoring 18 points to go along with seven assists and three rebounds. Miller recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points, pulling in 12 rebounds and dishing out six assists. Clark reached double figures, scoring 13 points and adding eight rebounds. Dunbar finished the game with 11 points to go along with five assists. The Lions held a 47-36 edge in rebounds and 12-2 edge in second chance points.

WHO'S NEXT
The Lions will return home to face Keystone College on Saturday, Dec. 7. The opening tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

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