(Posted November 21, 2006)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Junior guard Ali Meckey (Bishop Carroll/Ebensburg) scored 25 points and knocked down a career-high seven three-pointers to help the Juniata College women\'s basketball team improve to 3-0 with an 89-49 win over visiting Penn State-Altoona in Huntingdon Tuesday night. The Lions fell to 1-2 with the loss. Meckey was one shy of her career high as she was 8-11 from the field and 7-9 from three-point range in the victory. Juniata hit 11 triples in the game and had five players score in double figures. Juniata\'s pressure defense also forced 33 Lions turnovers, 16 of which came in the first half as the Eagles built up a 42-28 lead going into the locker room. Several early baskets from Penn State-Altoona\'s Shanise Thornton kept the contest close early, but a Meckey triple midway through the half sparked a 14-0 Juniata run over a three minute stretch that built the lead to 13, and freshman Kelly Rotan (Hammonton/Acton, N.J.) hit a jumper in the closing seconds to send Juniata into halftime leading by 14. The Eagles extended the lead to 19 in the early stages of the second half before a 6-0 Lions run, highlighted by hoops from Andrea Mortimer and Nikki Davis pulled the visitors within 13. The Eagles countered with an 18-2 run in which Meckey drilled a pair of threes and Claudia McDowell buried one to push the lead to 29 with 8:15 remaining and put the game out of reach. McDowell was 3-3 from long range en route to a 17-point night while she also passed out a game-high six assists. Jess Winemiller (Dallastown/York) added 16 while Rotan and Kelly Ashcraft (State College/Bellefonte) each added 10. Ashcraft grabbed nine rebounds to lead all players while Meckey keyed Juniata\'s defense as she had seven of the team\'s 22 steals. Thornton led the Lions with 16 points on 8-11 shooting from the field in the contest. Brittany Poorman and Kristen Twardon each added nine points. Jamie Fogelsonger topped the squad with six rebounds and Erin McGowan dished out three assists to lead the team. Juniata will look to stay unbeaten in the early going on Saturday when the Eagles host Pitt-Greensburg at 2 p.m. for a non-conference outing. ###

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