Middletown, PA – The Penn State Harrisburg women's basketball team came into their game against the St. Mary's Seahawks on Saturday January 13th with nothing but a win on their mind. Harrisburg dominated for three straight quarters, holding a 20 plus lead, before the game tightened in the fourth quarter. The Blue and White held strong on way to the Lions first Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) victory 64-55.
Penn State Harrisburg 64 vs. St. Mary's 55
Penn State Harrisburg Starters: Shanique Mattis, Aireo Payne, Laurel Amey, Tessa Dolce, Janel Brown
St. Mary's Starters: Nowlin, Kline, Robey, Chaney, Persell
Records:
Penn State Harrisburg: 6-9, 1-7 CAC
St. Mary's: 6-8, 2-6 CAC
Inside The Stats:
Field Goals: Penn State Harrisburg (22-47) vs St. Mary's (18-64)
Assists: Harrisburg (11) vs. St. Mary's (6)
Turnovers: Harrisburg (24) vs. St. Mary's (12)
Rebounds: Harrisburg (42) vs. St. Mary's (34)
How it Happened:
The Lady Lions started the game strong with a 7-0 run and continued to extend their lead finishing the first quarter up 18-7. Tesse Dolce and Shanique Mattis were dominate early and often throughout the game, but the entire team looked and performed as well as they have all season. This trend continued throughout the first three quarters as Harrisburg started the fourth quarter leading 48-31.
The Seahawks refused to go away and despite the feeling the Lions would win with ease throughout the contest, the game got exciting in the final minutes. St. Mary's went on a 16-4 run to start the fourth quarter to get as close as five points with 3:53 to go. Fortunately, Harrisburg kept their composure and were able to hold of the late run to win their first CAC contest of the year.
Impact Performance:
Shanique Mattis – 8-12 FG, 3-4 3pt, 23 points
Tessa Dolce – 13 points, 14 rebounds
Coach Thoughts: Head Coach Ross Patrick
"Today was a culmination of our continued growth in our offensive IQ and the grit defensively to persevere through opponents scoring runs. Tessa and Shanique really played well for us in the second half, and numerous other teammates had various moments that contributed to the victory. Great to get our first CAC win of the year, at home, on a special day "Orange 4 Owen"!
What's Next:
The Lions will finish off the first round of conference play Wednesday January 17th at Marymount University. Tip-off is set for 6pm.
