Front Royal, VA – The Lady Crusaders defeated the Lions of Penn State Mont Alto 80-55 in a USCAA DII matchup on December 5, 2023.
Right from the tip, the Crusaders took control of the game, with Mary Pennefather (Freshman/Manassas, VA) hitting a 3-pointer on their first possession. The Lady Crusaders pressed the Lions early, forcing turnovers and going on a 15-0 run to start the game. The Lions then gained some offensive traction and began to score, but the Crusaders continued to connect offensively, and the first quarter ended 26-8. The Crusaders continued their high-pressure defense in the second quarter, as they continued to force turnovers which allowed Libby Kolesar (Freshman/Cranberry, PA) to score multiple transition layups. The Crusaders held the Lions to 10 points in the quarter, going into halftime with a 42-18 lead.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the Lions came out strong and the Crusaders had a scoring drought. The Lions were able to cut their deficit to 10 points, but Pennefather hit a big three-pointer to bring the Crusader lead back up to 45-32. From there, the Crusaders and Lions traded baskets, and the 3rd quarter ended 54-42. During the 4th quarter, the Crusaders continued their aggressive defense and connected well on offense, scoring 26 points and holding the Lions to 12 for a final score of 80-55.
Mary Pennefather led the team in scoring, with an impressive triple-double: 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. Catherine Thomas (Junior/Corpus Christi, TX) finished with a double-double: 27 points and 15 rebounds. With the win the Lady Crusaders remain undefeated with a 6-0 record.
Up Next – The Lady Crusaders travel to play the Bryn Athen Lions on Saturday, December 16, at 1:00 pm for their last game of the fall semester.