Lions Lose Opener
Maharg Scores 18
Game 1 -- December 3, 2004 -- Central Dauphin High School
State College lost to Council Rock 55-47 at Central Dauphin's Tip-Off Tournament in Harrisburg and will play in the consolation game Saturday at 1 p.m. against host Central Dauphin who lost to Downingtown East 60-28 in the nightcap. Council Rock's Indians, rated No. 7 in the Harrisburg Patriot's preseason AAAA state poll, had a battle on their hands through three of the four quarters. The Lady Little Lions trailed only 26-23 at halftime. In what coach Bethany Irwin described as a "flat performance" in the third quarter, Council Rock outscored State College 10-5 leaving the Lions down by eight points heading into the fourth quarter when both teams scored 19 points. Senior Hannah Laman-Maharg led all scorers with 18 points making four threes and a deuce in the second half. "Hannah had an outstanding game," Irwin said. Freshman Emily Suhey scored eight points and Kelsey Ream and Lisa Ashcraft had six points. Aly Hinton led the Indians with 16 points followed by Erin and Kristin Gold, each with 14, and Addie Micir with 13.
State Loses To Central Dauphin
Suhey Scores 20
Game 2 -- December 4, 2004 -- Central Dauphin High School
State College freshman Emily Suhey scored a game-high 20 points but it wasn't enough to overcome a determined effort from the hosts at Central Dauphin who recovered to win the consolation game 60-54 of their Tip-Off Tournament. Suhey's breakout game was a highlight along with senior Kelly Ashcraft's 12 points but a disappointing third quarter haunted the Lions for the second straight game. "We led 12-0 before they even scored," Lion coach Bethany Irwin said. The 12-point run included five points from Amanda Hart and two 3-pointers from Alli Mock. State led 33-28 at halftime. Central Dauphin made up the deficit by outscoring the Lions 18-9 in the third quarter. "They hit their first three baskets and then we had a turnover," Irwin said of her team's problems after intermission. "That took the wind out of us." Central Dauphin scored all but four of its 14 points in the fourth quarter from the free throw line. Tanya Powers was high for CD with 19 points. State plays three games at home next week hosting Indiana on Wednesday, Bishop Hoban on Friday and 2004 PIAA champion Mercyhurst Prep on Saturday.
Lions Defeat Indiana For 1st Win
Game 3 -- Dec. 08, 2004 -- State College, Pa.
State College used its inside and outside strengths to post a 64-41 victory over visiting and previously undefeated Indiana (3-1). The Lady Little Lions, now 1-2, got a combined 37 points from forwards Kelly Ashcraft and Emily Suhey and counted 15 points from Ali Mock on the perimeter. "I'm just happy we won," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. "We're still working the kinks out but I think that overall they did a nice job." The game was tied twice in the opening minutes before State pulled away to a 21-9 advantage. Mock swished two of her threes and Suhey chipped in eight points to help build that lead in the opening period. By halftime, the Lady Little Lions enjoyed a 36-20 advantage with Ashcraft contributing eight points. Mock knocked down two more threes to support a 48-33 advantage for the Lions in the third quarter. Suhey added 10 more points in the fourth quarter and State was off the snide and into the win column for the first time this season. Indiana sophomore Rachel Hurley led the Indians with 10 points. The State College JV opened its season with a 42-34 win over Indiana's JV, the 98th straight for the program. Amanda Hart's nine points paced the Lions.
Lions Defeat Bishop Hoban
Game 4 -- Dec. 10, 2004 -- State College, Pa.
State College evened its record at 2-2 with a victory over visiting Bishop Hoban (1-1). "It wasn't pretty but we won," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. The Lions made just six of 16 from the charity stripe. The game was tied at 2-2 for the first 3:32 of the opening quarter. A pair of deuces from Bishop Hoban's Alexandra Downing gave the Argents a temporary lead. The Lady Little Lions closed the quarter with a 9-0 run highlighted by Hannah Laman-Maharg's back-to-back steals and layups. By halftime State led 26-17. State College stretched its nine-point halftime lead to 16 points (39-23) in the third quarter. The Argents got within 11 points (41-30) in the final period but Kelly Ashcraft and Alli Mock each scored six points to preserve the victory. Mock was State's scoring leader with 17 points followed by Ashcraft with 14 points. Laura Valentine had a team-high 16 points for Bishop Hoban. State's JV defeated Bishop Hoban 42-29 to win its 99th straight game. State College will host last year's AAAA champion Mercyhurst Prep Saturday afternoon.

Mercyhurst Prep Defeats State
Game 5 -- Dec. 11, 2004 -- State College, Pa.
Mercyhurst Prep defeated State College 59-33 in a comeback game after the state champion Lakers had lost twice in seven days to Altoona. "We wanted a win," Mercyhurst coach Randy Bowers said. His team jumped out to a 9-0 lead before State senior Kelly Ashcraft made the second of two free throws and senior Hannah Laman-Maharg converted a three-point play. A pair of 3-point field goals by Alli Mock completed State's scoring in the first quarter with the Lakers ahead 19-10. Mercyhurst senior Chelsea Gordon did most of the damage in the opening stanza scoring eight of her game-high 22 points. Lady Little Lion Emily Suhey scored six of her team-high 10 points in the second quarter and Gordon added seven for the Lakers who pushed the lead to 31-20. The third quarter was low scoring for both teams ending with the Lakers holding a 40-26 advantage. Mercyhurst senior Erin Kerner took over in the final period hitting three treys and Laker teammate Mashea Williams added another eight points. The loss by State College (2-3) broke a two-game win streak and the win for Mercyhurst ended a two-game slide (2-2). The Lady Little Lions are on the road for their next four contests beginning Wednesday when they visit Red Lion. State College's JV team added to its extraordinary win streak with a 54-23 victory over Mercyhurst. The streak now stands at 100 games. Alli Mock scored a game-high 15 points for the Lady Little Lion JV.
Lions Lose Close One At Red Lion
Game 6 -- Dec. 15, 2004 -- State College, Pa.
State College lost at Red Lion 49-47. The Lions were down 9-0 before sprinting back to take a 12-11 lead in the first quarter but trailed 25-21 at halftime. The teams were tied at 36 by the end of the third quarter. Mandy Clause connected on her fifth straight field goal to break the tie. Red Lion Mandy Quinn, who scored a game-high 22 points,then nailed a three. Emily Suhey, who scored a team-leading 16 points for the Lady Little Lions, completed a 3-point play to tie the score at 41. There were three more ties before the final 40 seconds as Red Lion's Andrea Hafer got a bucket to tie it at 47. Quinn scored the winning basket with 1.5 seconds on the clock. "We learn an awful lot every time we step on the floor," coach Bethany Irwin said. "Mandy had an excellent game." Clouse also scored 18 points in the JV game. Suhey had a double-double combining 17 rebounds with her 16 points. The Lions are on the road again tonight at Oakland Catholic. The Eagles are 3-1 and, until Mercyhurst Prep unseated them last year, have owned the Western side of the PIAA bracket knocking State College out of the PIAA finals in 2002 and 2003.
Lions Lose At Oakland Catholic
Game 7 -- Dec. 17, 2004 -- Pittsburgh, Pa.
Oakland Cathlic gave State College its fifth loss of the season with a 70-33 pounding in Pittsburgh. The Eagles were up 14-4 after the first quarter and led 28-11 at the half. Constant pressure from Oakland Catholic continued in the second half preventing the Lady Little Lions from generating much offense in the third quarter as the Eagles again put more points on the scoreboard and led 50-21. OC's output in the fourth quarter was 20 points while the Lions only managed 12. Emily Suhey scored what coach Bethany Irwin termed a hard-earned 14 points matching Oakland Catholic's leading scorers Brianna O'Rourke and Eve Pyle who also had 14. State College's JV lost for the first time in five years 44-39 ending its streak of 101 straight wins.
North Catholic Gives State 6th Loss
Game 8 -- Dec. 18, 2004 -- Pittsburgh, Pa.
A slow start gave North Catholic the boost it needed to send State College to its fourth straight loss by a 50-39 score in Pittsburgh. "Overall, we started out very sluggish," coach Bethany Irwin said. "Most likely the long trip was kicking in. We were tired. We hung with them after the first quarter." State College trailed 16-4 after the opening quarter but outscored North Catholic 11-9 in the second period. "Fouls hurt us with our post players in the first half, and Kelly Ashcraft went out with what I thought was a broken nose," Irwin said. "We cut it within eight in the third quarter, but then they hit some key shots and we missed a couple," she said. Junior Mandy Clouse came off the bench to lead the Lady Little Lions with 10 points. The JV won 45-39 paced by Alli Mock's 23 points.
Lions Defeat Indian Valley
Snap 4-Game Losing Streak
Game 9 -- Dec. 23, 2004 -- Lewistown, Pa.
State College scored a season-high in points and broke a four-game losing streak in its 78-47 victory at Indian Valley (5-3). The Lions (3-6) jumped to a 24-10 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Freshman Emily Suhey scored 20 points joining junior Kelsey Ream with 14 points and junior Sara Grove with 10 points in double figures. Allison Mitchell (13 points) and Courntey Bell (11 points) were the high scorers for the Lady Warriors. "Kelsey Ream had her best all-around game," coach Bethany Irwin said adding that Indian Valley collected 19 of its points from the free throw line. "There were a lot of fouls," Irwin said. State's JV won 54-41 paced by Grove with 16 points and Sarah Layton with 11 points. The Lady Little Lions take a break for the holidays before hosting the Kiwanis Holiday Invitational next Tuesday and Wednesday.
State College Defeats Perry In Kiwanis Opening Round
Game 10 -- Dec. 28, 2004 -- State College, Pa.
State College (4-6) won its opening round game with Perry Traditional Academy 62-39 in the Kiwanis Holiday Invitational sending the defending tourney champion Lady Little Lions into today's championship at 4 p.m. against Bishop Carroll. Carroll held off Greater Latrobe 57-48 in the earlier game. State and Perry were tied at nine after one quarter and the score was knotted five more times in the second quarter before Amanda Hart sparked a rally coming off the bench. Hart gave the Lions a 21-19 lead then scored on a putback of an offensive rebound adding another deuce and free throw to provide seven game-turning points in the last three minutes before halftime. Perry challenged the Lions in the third quarter getting as close as four points (37-33) on a bucket by Linda Larbig but a six-point run fueled by four points from Hannah Laman-Maharg and two free throws from Sara Grove stretched the lead back to 10. The Lions outscored Perry 19-4 in the final quarter. Senior Kelly Ashcraft paced State College with 17 points followed by Emily Suhey with 12 points and Alli Mock with 11 points. Jessica Victor was the high scorer for the Commodores with 10 points.
Lions Win Kiwanis Tournament Championship
Game 11 -- Dec. 29, 2004 -- State College, Pa.
State College (5-6) defeated Bishop Carroll 47-38 to win the Kiwanis Holiday Tournament for the third time in four years. The Lions recovered from a 35-32 deficit in the third quarter outscoring the Lady Huskies (5-3) 15-3 in the final eight minutes. Greater Latrobe defeated Perry Traditional Academy 65-44 in the consolation game. Both the Lions and Huskies struggled from the floor. Bishop Carroll scored just 10 points in the first quarter and nine points in the second period. State College also had trouble putting points on the board with 14 points in the first quarter and nine in the second period. Bishop Carroll gained some momentum in the third period scoring 16 points while the Lions struggled to post another nine points. The Lady Huskies led 35-32 at the end of the third period. State College found its touch in the final period scoring 12 straight points, eight from freshman Emily Suhey. "I think we were very lucky that Emily starting hitting some," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. "At the end of the third quarter, you have to make adjustments. I thought, oh my gosh, we're just not playing with intensity. We adjusted our defense a little bit and I think that helped us in the second half." State College used a collapsing defense to stop Bishop Carroll's Leaah Shrift who scored nine of her team's 10 points in the first quarter and finished with a game-high 17 points. Suhey led State College with 13 points including eight straight in the final quarter. The all-tournament team included Courtney Sherwin from Latrobe, Brooque Williams from Perry Traditional Academy, Leah Shrift and Alyse Semetosky from Bishop Carroll and Kelly Ashcraft and Amanda Hart from State College.
State College Hits Free Throws To Defeat Reading
Game 12 -- Jan. 8, 2005 -- State College, Pa.
State College (6-6) did a better job at the free throw line than visiting Reading in a 67-63 win Saturday. "Both teams had 24 field goals but we were 12 of 19 from the line and they were six of 13," Lady Little Lion coach Bethany Irwin said. In the game's closing minute Mandy Clouse made two from the stripe to push State's lead to three and senior Hannah Laman-Maharg made the first of two to preserve the winning margin in the final seconds. The victory moved State to .500 and gave the Lions their fourth straight victory. Senior Kelly Ashcraft led State College scoring 13 of her 16 points in the first half. Junior Kelsey Ream added 14 points, Emily Suhey scored 12 points and Clouse came off the bench for 10 points. "It was a pretty physical game throughout," Irwin said. "Fouls plagued our posts as they had to sit most of the second quarter." Reading's Ashley Giddens took game-scoring honors with 24 points including six 3-point field goals. State led 40-35 at halftime and 55-48 at the end of the third quarter. The Lady Little Lion JV won 58-48. Next up for State is a home game Wednesday with Central Mountain.
Lions Win League Opener Over Central Mountain
Game 13-- Jan. 12, 2005 -- State College, Pa.
State College (7-6) opened its Mountain Athletic League competition with a 69-29 victory over Central Mountain (5-8). The win was the 12th straight over the Lady Wildcats during coach Bethany Irwin's career at State College and marked the 799th game of the school's girls' basketball program. The Lions broke open a 12-11 first quarter nailbiter by outscoring Central Mountain 21-2 in the second period taking a 33-13 lead at intermission. State's offense poured in another 19 points in the third quarter building a 52-21 advantage. With 4:35 remaining in the game and Irwin emptying her bench, the Lions led 63-23 which resulted in a running clock. Lady Little Lion senior Kelly Ashcraft scored a game-high 18 points and freshman Emily Suhey had 13 points. Central Mountain senior Courtney Fornwalt led her team with nine points, all in the first quarter. State's JV gained a 47-33 victory with junior Alli Mock scoring 19 points. The Lions visit Greensburg Central Catholic for a Saturday afternoon game then are at league rival Hollidaysburg next Wednesday.
Lions Lose In OT At Greensburg Central Catholic
Game 14 -- Jan. 15, 2005 -- Greensburg, Pa.
State College (7-7) lost 54-50 in overtime at Greensburg Central Catholic (10-5) this afternoon. The Lions squandered a 15-13 lead in the first quarter giving up 13 points while only scoring three in the second period allowing the Centurions a 26-18 advantage at halftime. The Greensburg lead shrunk to 34-28 in the third period before State made its run. The game was tied at 42 at the end of regulation after Greensburg Central Catholic's Ashley Henderson missed a layup with two seconds remaining. The Centurions outscored State 12-6 in the extra period. State's scoring leader was Kelly Ashcraft with 16 points and freshman Emily Suhey added 12 points. Greensburg's Maggie Gibson led the Centurions with 18 points. State's JV won 39-30 with Alli Mock scoring 14 points. The Lady Little Lions are back in action Wednesday in an important league game at Hollidaysburg.
Lions Lose At Hollidaysburg
Game 15 --Jan. 19, 2005 -- Hollidaysburg, Pa.
State College (7-8) braved the snowy roads for a game Wednesday night at Hollidaysburg (10-5) where the Lady Little Lions lost 42-37. Hollidaysburg's victory ended 14 straight victories by State College in the series. The Lady Little Lions are 1-1 in the Mountain Conference League and Hollidaysburg improves to 1-1. The game remained close through the first two quarters with the Lady Tigers up 7-5 after the opening period then State College leading 17-16 at intermission. The Lions were outscored 14-3 in the third quarter but battled back to within four points in the fourth quarter. Emily Suhey led State College with 11 points and Hannah Laman-Maharg scored nine points. Hollidaysburg's Andrea Cooper took game-scoring honors with 15 points. The two teams will meet again at State College on Feb. 2. State's JV used a 24-point performance from Mandy Clouse to win 40-38. Both teams are home Saturday with North Schuylkill.
Lions Lose At Altoona
Ashcraft Leads Scoring With 17
Game 16 -- Jan. 26 -- Altoona, Pa.
State College's visit to Altoona resulted in a 63-39 loss as the Lady Little Lions were forced to take the floor without starter Hannah Laman-Maharg. State's senior leader was sidelined with flu-like symptoms. Senior teammate Kelly Ashcraft made a significant impact with her 17 points. Altoona led 13-5 after the first period and 29-15 at halftime outscoring State in every quarter. Kristi Little took game-scoring honors with 19 points for the Lady Lions. "At one point we were only down 19-15," coach Bethany Irwin said. "I was pleased and proud of the way we handled their pressure." Altoona, ranked third in the latest state poll, raised its record to 17-0. State is now 7-9 with another road game Saturday at Central Mountain. The Lady Little Lion JV team won its game with Altoona 49-40. Amanda Hart scored 18 points and made all six of her free throws in the fourth quarter.
Lions Sweep Central Mountain
Irwin Gets Win No. 250
Game 17 -- Jan. 29 -- Mill Hall, Pa.
State College completed a regular season sweep of Central Mountain with a 56-30 victory over the Lady Wildcats in Mill Hall this afternoon. As she did against Altoona, senior Kelly Ashcraft led the scoring effort with 20 points with help from Mandy Clouse who posted a career-high 17 points. Kelsey Ream stepped up to score 12 points. Central Mountain's Sandy Stevenson helped the Lady Wildcats with 12 points. The Lady Little Lions snap a three-game losing streak, head coach Bethany Irwin gets career win No. 250 and accomplishes it with a key win in the Mountain League Conference. State College defeated CM 69-28 on Jan. 12 and evens its record at 2-2 in league play. The Lions led 17-12 in the first quarter and 28-18 at the half. The offense kicked into high gear in the third period outscoring Central Mountain 17-4. "I must have said something right at halftime," coach Bethany Irwin quipped. Ashcraft spread her points over four quarters and was five of six from the line. Irwin said in addition to her career point effort Clouse was strong on defense. She also said that Ream shot well going three for three in the first half. State's JV won 38-31 led by Sarah Layton's 13 points.
State College Falls To Williamsport
Game 18 -- Jan. 31 -- Williamsport, Pa.
State College gave up 23 points in the first and fourth quarters helping the Millionaires of Williamsport to a 76-54 victory. Medina Ali took game scoring honors with 26 points for Williamsport. The Lady Little Lions' scoring leaders were Kelly Ashcraft with 16 points and Mandi Clouse with 13 points. State fell behind 23-12 in the first period and trailed 36-26 at intermission. "The first half was not very good for us," coach Bethany Irwin said. The State College JV prevailed 38-20 with Sarah Layton scoring 18 points. The Lady Little Lions have Tuesday off before playing three straight
Lions Lose Again To Hollidaysburg
Game 19 -- Feb. 2 -- Hollidaysburg, Pa.
Visiting Hollidaysburg completed its sweep of State College in the regular season with a 42-33 win on the Little Lady Lions' home court. The Lady Tigers won at home 42-37 on Jan. 19. State fell behind 11-5 and 20-11 in the first two quarters and trailed 30-24 after the third period. The Lions scored eight straight points thanks to a pair of threes by Kelly Ashcraft to threaten the Lady Tigers 36-33 with 50 seconds left. Six straight free throws by three different Hollidaysburg players led to the final score. Ashcraft led all scorers with 18 points and Mandi Clouse scored nine points for State College. Hollidaysburg's balanced scoring came from Andrea Cooper and Allison Smith who each had 10 points with Jess Zerbee adding eight points and Amanda Ottaway and Kyley Longo tied with six points apiece. The loss drops State College to 8-11. Hollidaysburg improves to 13-6. State's JV lost 43-41. Sara Grove had 15 points and Courtlyn Roser-Jones had 14 points. The Lions entertain North Schuylkill on Friday.
Lions Fall to North Schuylkill
Game 20 -- Feb. 4 -- North Schuylkill -- State College, Pa.
State College, 8-12, has made a habit of playing ranked opponents, already facing six teams among those listed in the latest state poll. Last night it was North Schuylkill, ranked No. 5 in class AA. The Lady Spartans left with a 21-3 record and a 47-36 victory over the Lady Little Lions in State College. North Schuylkill extended a 10-8 first quarter lead to 25-17 by intermission. The Lions came back from a 31-18 deficit in the third period narrowing the gap to 31-26. But the Lady Spartans opened the fourth quarter by scoring nine straight points, five at the free throw line, and finished off the period with five more free throws and one field goal. North Schuylkill guards Marissa Rejent and Kim Rarick were key factors in the game, both scoring 15 points. Rejent provided 11 points in the fourth quarter. State College junior Sara Grove came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points. The Lion JV handed North Schuylkill's JV its first loss of the season with a 50-42 victory. Stephanie Kracaw led the way with 12 points. The varsity is right back in action today with another game against a ranked opponent visiting class AA's No. 4 Westmont Hilltop.
State College Loses To Westmont-Hilltop
Game 21 -- Feb. 5 -- Westmont Hilltop -- Johnstown, Pa.
The 8-13 State College Lady Little Lions were stymied on offense and lost at Westmont Hilltop 64-34. The Lady Hilltoppers, ranked No. 1 in the district in Class AA and No. 4 in their class in the state rankings, improved to 20-1 and are the eighth opponent State College has faced among those listed in the latest state poll. Sara Grove again provided the offense off the bench with a team-leading 12 points. Hannah Laman-Maharg and Kelly Ashcraft each scored nine points. Lady Hilltopper Kelly Britcher led Westmont Hilltop with 14 points. "The first quarter killed us," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. Her Lady Little Lions were outscored 26-2 in the opening period. Westmont Hilltop outscored State 16-10 in the second period to post a 42-12 advantage at halftime. State rallied in the third quarter but still trailed 53-32. The Lady Little Lions outscored the Lady Hilltoppers 12-11 in the final period. State is back home for its last three games of the regular season hosting Bishop Guilfoyle Monday, No. 2 ranked Altoona Thursday and Penn Cambria Feb. 14. The District 6 pairings have been announced and State College will face Hollidaysburg on Feb. 21 at Tyrone.
Lions Lose to Bishop Guilfoyle
Game 22 -- Feb. 7 -- Bishop Guilfoyle -- State College, Pa.
Bishop Guilfoyle built an 18-point lead in the second quarter helping the Lady Maurauders post a 66-49 victory over State College. The Lady Little Lions, now 8-14, were only trailing by five after the first quarter before BG's offense scored 21 points in the second stanza. State only managed nine points in the third quarter while Bishop Guilfoyle scored 10 points. But the Lady Maurauders big advantage from quarter No. 2 held up through the fourth period when State put in 20 points to BG's 19. State freshman Emily Suhey returned from the injury list to lead her team in scoring with 13 points and junior Sarah Grove made her first start worth noting with 11 points. BG sophomore Mary Forr took game scoring honors with 19 points and senior Lindsey Sissler chipped in 17 points. The Lady Maurauders improved to 20-3. State College's JV rallied to improve its record to 14-2 with Sarah Layton scoring a team-high 16 points. The JV has a single game at the Grier School tomorrow and both teams will return to their home gym Thursday to host Altoona.
Lions Lose to Altoona
Game 23 -- Feb. 10 -- Altoona, Pa. -- State College, Pa.
Altoona pushed its record to 23-1 with a 79-52 victory at State College tonight. State College's Lady Little Lions lost their sixth straight and are in need of a win Monday night at home with Penn Cambria to give themselves a chance at a .500 season. The Lions dropped to 8-15 with the loss to Altoona. Ranked No. 3 in Class AAAA, Altoona led 18-11 in the first quarter and 35-24 by halftime. State's 24 first half points included 11 from freshman Emily Suhey. The third quarter belonged to the visitors who outscored State 26-9 with senior Samantha Reimer contributing 11 points. State outscored Altoona 19-18 in the fourth quarter as senior Kelly Ashcraft provided 11 points. Altoona's Kristi Little took game scoring honors with 25 points. Reimer finished with 18 points and Lindsey Bush scored 17 points for the Lady Lions. Suhey, Ashcraft and Mandi Clouse each had 13 for State College. Altoona won the JV game 57-37. Amanda Hart had 13 points for State College.
Lions Wrap Regular Season With 67-23 Win Over Penn Cambria
Game 24 -- Feb. 14 -- Penn Cambria -- State College, Pa.
State College ended its regular season with a 67-23 win at home over Penn Cambria. Alli Mock led the Lady Little Lion scorers with 15 points followed by Kelly Ashcraft with 14 and Mandi Clouse with 13. Michelle Farabaugh scored a team-high 11 points for the Lady Panthers who fell to 3-21. State improved to 9-15. State extended an 8-4 lead in the opening minutes to a 17-6 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Mock made two threes and a deuce to open the second quarter pushing the advantage to 25-6 and the half ended with State ahead 34-11. State outscored the Panthers 21-4 in the third quarter. Penn Cambria had its most productive scoring effort in the fourth period with eight points but was too far behind to catch the Lions. State College has a week to prepare for its District 6 semifinal game next Monday with Hollidaysburg. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Tyrone High School.
Lions Upset Hollidaysburg
Advance to District 6 Final
Game 25 -- Feb. 21 -- Hollidaysburg at Tyrone
The third time was the charm as State College advanced to the District 6 Championship game with a 59-48 victory over Hollidaysburg in tonight's District 6 semifinals played at Tyrone High School. Hollidaysburg had defeated State College twice in the regular season. The Lady Little Lions will play Altoona for the District 6 Chapionship Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis University. Freshman Emily Suhey scored a game-high 18 points scoring 16 points in the first half. Senior Kelly Ashcraft and junior Alli Mock each scored 12 points, senior Hannah Laman-Maharg scored eight points, junior Mandi Clouse scored six points and junior Amanda Hart scored three points. Hollidaysburg's Amanda Ottaway led the Lady Tigers with 17 points with 11 coming in the fourth quarter. State led all the way inching ahead 10-8 in the first period then sprinting to a 27-17 advantage at halftime. The Lions led 37-28 after the third period. The game's fourth quarter turned into a battle at the free throw line with the two teams combining for 32 from the charity stripe. State converted 15 of 18 and Hollidaysburg made 10 of 15. "We were excited," State College coach Bethany Irwin said. "We had to believe we could do it." Irwin said her team even practiced jumping off the bleachers after winning in preparation for the game. The Lions improve to 10-15 and Hollidaysburg ends its season at 16-8. State College is in the District 6 Championship game for the seventh straight year.

Lions Lose To Altoona
Play Erie Central Saturday
Game 26 -- Feb. 23 -- Altoona at St. Francis
State College lost the District 6 Championshipship game to Altoona 56-36 and will play District 10 Champion Erie Central at 1:30 p.m. at Edinboro on Saturday. The winner advances to the PIAA Championship bracket. The Altoona Lady Lions, 24-1 and ranked No. 3 in the state, rode the scoring of senior Kristi Little to their second straight championship. Little finished with 29 points having scored 17 points by the 5:40 mark of the second quarter. Turnovers and foul trouble hampered the Lady Little Lions (10-16) who trailed 14-7 after the first quarter and 31-13 at halftime. "We could have done a little bit better," State College coach Bethany Irwin told WMAJ Radio after the game. "Emily (Suhey) picked up two quick fouls and had to go to the bench. We had no flow." Suhey, the team's leading scorer, finished with just two points. Senior Kelly Ashcraft took team scoring honors with 15 points and junior Kelsey Ream had eight points.
Lions Defeat Erie Central 54-47
Advance to PIAA 1st Round
Game 27 -- Feb. 26 -- Erie Central at Edinboro
State College defeated the Erie Central Falcons 54-47 in a sub-regional postseason game played at Edinboro Saturday afternoon advancing to the first round of the PIAA Championships next Friday at 7:30 p.m. vs. Mt. Lebanon. The game will be played at Hollidaysburg. Junior Sarah Grove led her Lady Little Lion teammates with 19 points. Erie Central's Maniqua Williams took game scoring honors with 24 points. "We jumped on them in the first quarter," Irwin said of her team's 16-8 first period advantage. "Our seniors just weren't going to lose." Senior Hannah Laman-Maharg helped jumpstart the Lion offense scoring eight of her 11 game points and nailing two of her three treys in the first eight minutes. State's lead was 27-21 at halftime. The Lady Little Lions' lead was down to four (36-32) at the end of the third quarter and the Falcons were within two at the game's five minute mark. A 3-point field goal by Grove pushed the lead back to five and State capitalized on its free throw shooting down the stretch. The Lions made 11 of 13 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and were 17 of 20 in the game. Grove was particularly effective in the final period making all six of her attempts from the charity stripe. State senior Kelly Ashcraft was the only other player in double figures spreading out her 12 points over the course of the game, according to Irwin. Junior Alli Mock contributed eight points. Irwin cited junior Kelsey Ream for making "a great contribution on defense." State is now 2-1 in postseason having upset second seeded Hollidaysburg in the District 6 semifinals then losing to top seed Altoona in the championship. State College advances to the PIAA Championship bracket for the ninth time in school history and for the seventh straight year under Irwin. Erie Central ends its season at 16-6. State College, with 12 games against teams listed in the Feb. 21 "Harrisburg Patriot-News" state rankings, improves to 11-16.
Lions End Season With 51-29 Loss
Big 2nd Half Leads To Blue Devil Victory
Game 28 -- March 4 -- Mt. Lebanon at Hollidaysburg
A solid first half for State College disappeared in the final two quarters and the Lady Little Lions lost their PIAA 1st round game to Mt. Lebanon 51-29. The game was played at Hollidaysburg High School. "First half we played really well," coach Bethany Irwin said. "Kelly (Ashcraft) had eight points, Emily (Suhey) four and Kelsey (Ream) four. Emily hit a 3-point hook shot at the buzzer." State led 22-19 at intermission. "We were really pumped up and then our shots just didn't fall in the second half," she said. Mt. Lebanon outscored the Lions 32-7 in the next two quarters. "I was proud of our efforts but we need to continue to work hard to capitalize on this learning year," Irwin said.

Game story from the Centre Daily Times.