St. Mary's City, MD- The Penn St. Berks Women's Basketball Team could not find a way to overcome St. Mary's College of Maryland in their road tilt, falling to the Seahawks by a score of 72-52.

Berks (2-19 Overall, 1-13 UE) got off to a slow start and found themselves trailing the Seahawks (16-7 Overall, 13-1 UE) 8-2 in the opening five minutes. The Lions sliced away at the deficit with Hailey Miller converting two free throws and Gabrielle Merritt drilling a 3-pointer to pull within three points. St. Mary's recaptured the momentum, rattling off the final 11 points of the quarter to build a 14-point lead. The Seahawks opened the second quarter on an 8-1 run, continuing to build their lead. Morgan Dunbar halted the run, swishing a 3-pointer. Ashlyn Clark also added a 3-pointer before the end of the half, but Berks trailed 42-16 at the break.

The Lions found some offensive success in the third quarter, Abigail Pfander and Mahala Ruffner finished layups to stay within 25 points. Ruffner continued to find success on the interior, adding two more layups. Dunbar completed a three-point play, drawing a foul on a mid-range jump shot. She added a steal and score right before the end of the quarter, but the Lions trailed 58-36 heading into the fourth quarter. The Lions continued to battle in the final frame with Merritt and Miller scoring baskets. Miller then converted a 3-point play and powered in a layup to cut the deficit down to 17 points. Berks could not pull any closer, eventually falling by a score of 72-52.

Miller once again led the Lions in scoring, racking up 15 points, going 7-7 at the free throw line. Dunbar and Clark each reached double figures score 10 points apiece. Ruffner led the team in rebounds with eight to go along with nine points. Gianna Roberts led the team with four assists.

WHO'S NEXT
The Lions will return home to host Saint Elizabeth University on Tuesday, Feb. 11. The game will be a Pink-Out benefiting the Breast Cancer Support Service of Berks County. The opening tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

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