ALTOONA, Pa. – Penn State Altoona women's basketball used a stifling defensive effort to post a 76-46 win over Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Medaille College on Saturday afternoon in the Adler Arena.

Penn State Altoona (11-7, 9-5 AMCC) allowed a season-low 46 points to Medaille (1-19, 1-14 AMCC), forced 29 turnovers, and limited the visitors to a 34.6 field goal percentage that included going just 1-for-14 from three-point range.

Thanks to the strong defense, the Lady Lions were able to score 37 points off of turnovers.

"Here's what excites me about this game: we had 37 points off of turnovers, with 16 of them coming from fastbreaks. We got back to starting our offense on the defensive end and attacking the basket," said Penn State Altoona head coach Casey Wilt. "We shared the ball well and we were able to get great looks at the basket. Our shooting percentage is typically strong when we are playing good defense and attacking on the offensive end. The ladies were really entertaining to watch."

The victory was particularly significant for the team, as it occurred on Sideline Cancer Day and included a cause near to the Penn State Altoona women's basketball program's hearts.

"Today was more than just about basketball. Today, we showed our support for those who have battled and those currently battling pancreatic cancer. Cathy Griffith of The Griffith Family Foundation was on site and helped to educate our fans about pancreatic cancer and her Sideline Cancer organization," Wilt stated. "Cathy is a huge advocate for cancer research and continues to share her own personal story. We can't thank her enough for allowing our women's program to be part of such an amazing cause. Our program took a moment to show our love and support to Sarah Huston's dad, Charles, who is currently battling pancreatic cancer. Today, we played for him."

The Lady Lions also took time before tipoff to recognize senior guard Finnley Christine (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) on becoming the women's basketball program's all-time leading scorer. Christine moved into first place on the Lady Lions' all-time scoring list during the team's game at Franciscan University this past Wednesday night, and she was applauded for becoming the new record-holder in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday.

"Prior to the game, we recognized Finn for becoming the all-time leading scorer, a record she obtained during our loss to Franciscan on Wednesday," said Wilt. "Our whole team is elated for her."

Alexis Cannistraci (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) led the Lady Lions' efforts against Medaille on Saturday, putting up team-highs with 18 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and four steals. Cannistraci's total of seven assists represents a career-high in that statistic. Additionally, she needs just 15 points to become the fifth player in Penn State Altoona women's basketball history to reach 1,000 points in a career.

Christine and Sydney Snyder (New Enterprise, PA/Northern Bedford) each finished with 14 points. Christine added four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, and Snyder grabbed three rebounds.

Kaley Strittmatter (Williamsburg, PA/Penn Cambria) scored 12 points and tied for the team-high in rebounds with five, and Paige Burk (Claysburg, PA/Claysburg-Kimmel) finished with eight points, three assists, two steals, and two boards.

Burk, Cannistraci, Christine, Sarah Huston (Coatesville, PA/Coatesville), and Kassidy Sorichetti (Halifax, PA/Halifax) each finished with one block.

Medaille's Morgan Kennedy led all players in the game with 20 points and 16 rebounds, and Amanda Arnold chipped in 10 points for the Lady Mavericks.

Penn State Altoona forced 11 first quarter turnovers, en route to a 24-14 advantage by the end of the period. Two Strittmatter baskets and a pair of Christine free throws helped the home team get out to a 6-2 advantage, and Burk and Strittmatter each made layups to increase their team's lead to 10-4. Strittmatter's jump shot and Cannistraci's three-pointer made it 16-11 by 2:40, and Christine's layup and free throw increased the advantage to 19-11 a minute later. Cannistraci connected from three-point range again, and Chloe Inman (Annville, PA/Annville-Cleona) hit a jump shot before the end of the period.

The Lady Lions followed their first quarter performance by outscoring Medaille 16-8 in the second. Back-to-back threes from Snyder gave the home squad a 30-14 advantage, and Sorichetti added a layup at 8:22 to make it an 18-point game. Penn State Altoona went into halftime with a 40-22 lead, helped by Christine's basket with just six seconds left on the clock.

Penn State Altoona posted a 20-11 scoring advantage in the third quarter. Three-pointers from Burk and Snyder, along with two-point baskets by Cannistraci and Christine, got the Lady Lions' lead to 50-22 by the 6:34 mark. Snyder and Cannistraci each hit three-pointers during the rest of the quarter, and Penn State Altoona went into the game's final stanza with a 60-33 lead.

Jump shots by Strittmatter and Cannistraci started the fourth quarter for the Lady Lions, and Penn State Altoona took its largest lead of the day at 6:48, when another Strittmatter bucket put her team up by 30, 66-36. The Lady Lions sailed through the rest of the quarter, snapping their brief two-game skid with a comfortable win.

"We had a very strong start to the game, and we were able to remain relatively consistent throughout our 40 minutes of play. We were able to hold one of Medaille's leading contributors [Jasmine Mott] scoreless. Amanda Arnold was hurting us in the first half, and we were able to tighten up on her in the second half to hold her to only two points," said Wilt. "Our guards did a nice job defending, and when our post players got switched into guards, they, too, defended well."

Penn State Altoona also welcomed guard Alivia Borlie (Belsano, PA/Bishop Carroll) back into the fold, after she had missed the previous 11 games with an injury.

"It was nice having Alivia back into our rotation," said Wilt. "She's worked hard to get back on the court, and she did a very nice job all-around. Her quickness and hustle provides another dynamic to our group."

Now, Penn State Altoona women's basketball will prepare for an AMCC road game this Wednesday, February 5 at 8:00 p.m., when the Lady Lions will travel to face Pitt-Greensburg.