Williamsport, Pa- The Penn St. Berks Women's Basketball Team could not break through, dropping a road match up with Penn College by a score of 76-57 on Thursday, Jan. 16.

The Lions (0-14 Overall, 0-8 UE) got on the board early in the opening quarter when off a steal from Hailey Miller, Gianna Roberts pulled up for a 3-pointer. Miller added a layup as Berks trailed 8-5 midway through the quarter. Morgan Dunbar connected on a 3-pointer and Miller added another layup as Berks leveled the score at 10. The Wildcats (10-7 Overall, 7-1 UE) responded, going on a 12-2 run to stretch their advantage. Jaylin Hann closed the quarter by knocking down a jump shot, but Berks trailed by eight heading to the second quarter.
Gabrielle Merritt started the second by swishing a jump shot to cut the deficit down to six points. Ashlyn Clark and Dunbar each connected on jump shots, helping Berks keep pace with the Wildcats. Mahala Ruffner got on the score sheet, hitting a short jump shot midway through the quarter, keeping Berks within 11 points. Both teams stepped up their defense pressure throughout the final four minutes of the half, with Berks holding Penn College to only four points. Ruffner added a layup in the closing seconds of the half, but the Lions trailed 39-26 at the break.

Dunbar started the Lions offense in the second half, finishing a layup in the paint. Penn College slowly pulled away from Berks, building an 18-point lead midway through the quarter. Clark tried to pull the Lions back into contention, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers. Clarks swished another 3-pointer with 1:28 remaining in the quarter, to cut the deficit down to 16 points. Abigail Pfander continued to chip away at the Wildcats lead, converting a layup on the team's first possession of the fourth quarter. Miller and Clark added baskets, but Penn College matched each one, keeping a large advantage. The Lions could not make any headway late in the fourth quarter, as Penn College earned the 76-57 victory.

Miller led the Lions in scoring, finishing the game with 15 points and four steals. Clark hit three times from beyond the arc, finishing the game with 14 points. Dunbar had a solid shooting night, finishing the game with 11 points. Ruffner reached double figures off the bench, scoring 10 points. Merritt led Berks in rebounds, gathering eight missed shots.

WHO'S NEXT
The Lions will host Rosemont College as part of Military Appreciation Day on Saturday Jan. 18. The opening tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

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