The Penn State DuBois Lady Lion basketball team played their first conference game of the new year tonight as they hosted Penn State Mont Alto. The first quarter of play was a tempo of each team feeling out the other. Buckets were traded back and forth, Mont Alto drilling a 3 pointer, then then DuBois getting their own field goal of choice. Coach Lewis had 7 of his girls, including all 5 starters in the scoring column before the horn sounded on the first quarter.
DuBois started to assert themselves in the second quarter as Hope Bridge (Punxsutawney, PA) and Morgan Silvis (Tionesta, PA) lifted their team with 7 and 8 points respectively. Senior leader Melody Young (Eldred, PA) had 2 blocks to lead a defensive charge against the visitors from Mont Alto. DuBois forced 6 turnovers, and allowed only 10 points, as they cruised into the locker room with a 15-point lead.
Bridge was only heating up by the half, and as she led her team back out on the floor to start the 3rd quarter she started to show everyone she was ready to take control. With a big 3-point shot in the 3rd, Bridge was going to make Mont Alto stop her, but Mont Alto didn't have the answer. DuBois started to pull away with a couple of 3's from Kristen Williams (Sugar Grove, PA) and Maddie Sprankle (Johnstown, PA). Young kept her part going as she pulled down a solid 10 rebounds with her hard-nosed play, and Leah Lindemuth (Brockway, PA) chipped in on the defensive game with 3 steals to lead the team.
Penn State Mont Alto's Madison Bishop put up a valiant offensive effort for her team with 19 points to match DuBois leading scorer, Bridge. It was too little too late however as DuBois would keep the lead and take the game, 80-59.
DuBois will be back in action at home next Tuesday in another PSUAC matchup as they host Penn State Fayette.
