Reading, Pa- The Penn St. Berks Women's Basketball Team had five players reach double figures as they earned their first victory of the season, taking down Rosemont College by a score of 78-61 on Saturday, Jan. 18.

Before the game, the Penn St. Berks Athletic Department took a few moments to celebrate the military members in attendance including their very own Army National Guard Member Jalyn Hann.

Neither offense was able to settle in through the opening five minutes, with the score tied at four. Hailey Miller put Berks (1-14 Overall, 1-8 UE) in front, stealing a pass and converting a layup. Gabrielle Merritt then drilled a 3-pointer from the wing to put Berks ahead by six. Rosemont (0-17 Overall, 0-8 UE) fought back, closing within one with 1:01 remaining in the opening quarter. Morgan Dunbar and Hann converted free throws before the end of the quarter, giving the Lions a 16-12 advantage.

Gianna Roberts started the second half with a bang, knocking down a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to seven. Berks began attacking the paint with Merritt and Hann each finishing layups, making the score 27-18. Berks continued to slowly pull ahead, with Dunbar slashing to the basket for a layup to put the Blue & White ahead by 11. Abigail Pfander added a basket before the end of the half, making the score 35-25 at the break.

Berks picked up right where they left off second half with Roberts again drilling a 3-pointer. Dunbar pushed the lead to 14 points, coming away with a steal and score. The Lions led by 17 points midway through the quarter, but Rosemont 9-1 run to pull back within single digits. Hann halted the run, hitting a jump shot and then a pair of free throws to push the lead back to 13. Roberts started the fourth quarter by hitting one more 3-pointer. Roberts and Hann continued to attack the paint, each finishing layups to maintain a ten-point advantage. The Lions finally got rolling, going on a 9-0 run capped off by a spectacular three-point play. Berks used some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch to build on the lead, and Merritt added a 3-pointer to push the lead to 18 points. The Lions powered to a 78-61 victory.

The Lions had five players score in double figures, led by Miller who filled the stat sheet with 18 points, eight rebounds, five steals and four assists. Hann showed out, scoring 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Roberts showed off her 3-point shooting ability, connecting three times from beyond the arc as she scored 14 points. Merritt came up just short of a double-double, scoring 11 points to go along with nine rebounds. Dunbar was the final scorer to reach double figures, scoring 12 points. Berks forced 30 Ravens turnovers, resulting in 31 points and they also held a 34-26 edge in points in the paint.

WHO'S NEXT
The Lions will travel to face Keystone College next Saturday, Jan. 25. The opening tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

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