ALTOONA, Pa. — Mount Aloysius battled back with a strong third-quarter push but could not overcome an early deficit in an 80-66 loss to Penn State Altoona on Wednesday night in AMCC action at Adler Arena.

The Mounties (8-14, 6-7 AMCC) found themselves trailing by 17 at halftime after the hosts used a hot-shooting first half to build separation. Mount Aloysius responded out of the break, tightening defensively and cutting into the margin with a 22-13 advantage in the third quarter. However, a cold shooting stretch in the final period prevented the comeback from materializing.

Molly Kosmack (Homer City, Pa., Homer-Center) delivered a dominant performance inside, finishing with 21 points and 15 rebounds for her double-double. She was aggressive in the paint throughout the night, collecting seven offensive boards and converting 11 of 12 free-throw attempts. Kosmack also added five assists and two blocks in 35 minutes.

Mackenzie Barr (Pittsburgh, Pa., Shaler) controlled the glass as well, recording 10 rebounds to go along with eight points, while Molly Richards (Naples, Fla., Naples) contributed 10 points, knocking down five free throws and adding three rebounds. Ashlie Weaver (Schellsburg, Pa., Chestnut Ridge) provided a spark off the bench with eight points and three rebounds in nine minutes, helping the Mounties finish with a 16-7 edge in bench scoring.

Mount Aloysius outrebounded Penn State Altoona 42-40 and shot an efficient 87% from the free-throw line (20 of 23). The Mounties also held the hosts to 27.8% shooting in the third quarter as part of their comeback effort.

For the game, Mount Aloysius shot 37.5% from the field (21 of 56) and 4 of 16 from beyond the arc. Penn State Altoona converted 11 3-pointers and capitalized on turnovers, scoring 19 points off Mountie miscues to help seal the win.