GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's women's basketball team dropped a non-conference contest against Gwynedd Mercy 63-39 on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13.


Lauren Moffatt posted a double-double with 16 rebounds and 11 points, while Akira Cho netted a trio of 3-pointers for nine points and added a pair of assists and steals. Allison Metzgar tallied eight points and Mikayla Coleman had seven of her own.


Gwynedd Mercy (3-6) got out to a 10-0 lead to start off the game before Coleman netted a jumper from the elbow to get Penn State Harrisburg (2-9) on the board. The Griffins held the Lions to just five more points during the opening quarter, which included a layup from Coleman and a 3-pointer from Moffatt.


The home team had a monster second quarter, outscoring the visitors 31-5. Gwynedd Mercy extended their advantage to 37 off a  13-0 run late in the frame. Coleman and Brookelynn Carr broke up the Griffins' scoring and contributed to Penn State Harrisburg's five-point second quarter.


In the second half of the contest, the  Lions continuously attempted to claw back, but the eventual 38-point deficit was too much to overcome. For the visitors, Cho scored a pair of 3-pointers from Bre'ijha Painter, narrowing the gap slightly. Moffatt added a late layup for Penn State Harrisburg with 16 seconds left, but the Griffins still led 59-25 by the end of the quarter.


Although the Lions outscored their opponents 14-4 in the fourth quarter, they were unable to close the significant gap by the final buzzer. Moffatt contributed with a pair of layups, while Allison Metzgar and Cho each added 3-pointers during the period. Cho also played an active role defensively, recording multiple steals, but the early advantage by Gwynedd Mercy proved insurmountable in the end.


NOTABLES
- Moffatt recorded a double-double with 16 rebounds and 11 points.
- Cho hit three 3-balls to score nine points to go along with three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
- Metzgar added eight points and Coleman had seven of their own.
- Carr and Painter both grabbed six rebounds each against the Griffins. 
- The home team outrebounded Penn State Harrisburg 47-44.


WHO'S NEXT? 
The Lions face another tough non-conference test when they travel to No. 2 Scranton on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 21.


STAY CONNECTED
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