Defense reigns in no. 5 Lady Lions 52-35 win over Penn State DuBois

HAZLETON, Pa. - No. 5 Penn State Hazleton capitalized on a strong defensive effort and held no. 20 Penn State DuBois to 30 percent shooting in a 52-35 PSUAC women's basketball game on Sunday afternoon in the Dr. Thomas Caccese Gymnasium.

The 52 points was Hazleton's lowest output in a win this season, and only the second game in which they scored fewer than 59 points. Yet this game was not about the efficiency of the Lady Lions' offense, but that of their defense. Hazleton (15-2, 9-1 PSUAC) held their third straight opponent under 31 percent from the field, and forced 19 turnovers. Capitalizing on those turnovers, the Lady Lions turned the takeaways into 21 points.

Sophomore Stephanie Guevara (North Brunswick, NJ) led all scorers with 13 points and added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Senior Christine Soltys (Milton, Pa.) added 10 points and six rebounds, as well as two assists, while sophomore Deidra Ciavaralla (Mountain Top, Pa.) went 3-for-5 from behind the arc to finish with nine points off the bench.

Hazleton also won the rebounding battle, 51-33, including pulling in a season high 25 offensive rebounds. Senior Taylor Cannon (Hazleton, Pa.) matched Guevara's rebounding total with 10 in only 19 minutes of play before fouling out.

DuBois was led by Grace Earle with eight points, while Ashley Brown added seven for the Lions.

Hazleton will face Wilkes University in non-conference action on Monday, January 26 at 6:00 p.m., weather permitting.