Mont Alto, PA - Penn State Beaver went on the road Saturday afternoon and outlasted Penn State Mont Alto, 86–75, using balanced scoring and a decisive late push to improve to 11–3 overall and 4–1 in conference. After a back-and-forth opening half, Beaver's depth and playmaking began to tilt the game, and the visitors closed with their best defensive quarter of the day to secure the double-digit win.
The first quarter set the tone as Mont Alto edged ahead 24–22 in a fast, physical start. Beaver answered in the second, tightening up defensively and getting timely buckets to flip the game at halftime, 45–44. Coming out of the break, Beaver kept its foot on the gas in the third quarter, winning it 23–20 to take a 68–64 lead into the final period. The fourth quarter was the difference-maker: Beaver held Mont Alto to just 11 points while adding 18 of its own, pulling away down the stretch to finish off the 86–75 victory.
Key players for Beaver included Ny'Ashia Barnes who powered the offense with 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting, adding 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Bailey Rieg matched her with 22 points, knocking down 4 threes and contributing 4 assists and 4 steals. Claudia Siegfried delivered a big all-around line with 15 points, going 5-for-15 from three, and a game-high 10 assists, while Caitlyn O'Hara added 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Jaden Tesch and Katie Enderle each scored 6, with Enderle also grabbing 5 rebounds, and Lillian Holland chipped in 5 off the bench. As a team, Beaver shot 41.8% (33–79), hit 11 threes, went a perfect 9-for-9 at the line, and piled up 21 assists.
Beaver's closing-quarter defense and multiple scoring options proved too much to overcome, turning a tight three-quarter game into a comfortable road win. The Lady Lions will now be on break until after the holiday break and will return on January 13th at 6pm when they travel to take on Penn State Dubois. For all things Penn State Beaver Women's Basketball check out beaverathletics.com or watch all home games live on the Rise and Roar Network!
