PHOTO GALLERY - Couresty of Centre Daily Times

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The University of Hartford women's basketball team dropped its final game in 2013 dropping a 70-56 decision to the #15/17 Penn State Lady Lions on Sunday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center. Hartford was led by junior Cherelle Moore who finished with 11 points while senior Alyssa Englert dished out a career-high nine assists.

Moore's 11 points represented the only Hawk to pass the double figure mark as she finished the game shooting 5-of-12 from the field. She also led the way in the rebounding battle finishing one shy of back-to-back double doubles with nine boards. As a team, the Hawks dropped the battle of the boards 47-30, with the Lady Lions grabbing 15 off the offensive glass.

Joining Moore in leading Hartford was freshmen Deanna Mayza and Morgan Lumb who finished with nine and eight points, respectively. The Hawks finished the game shooting 35.1 percent from the field, making 20 of their 57 attempts. Hartford also finished 7-of-23 from beyond the three point arc (30.4 percent) and made 9-of-12 from the free throw line.

Defensively, Hartford held Penn State without a three point basket for the first time in more than two years. The Lady Lions finished 0-for-8 from beyond the arc, while they finished the game shooting 43.1 percent on 28-of-65. Hartford also held PSU to just six assists, a season low. Senior Maggie Lucas led the Lady Lions, and all players, with 18 points, shy of her 21.4 per-game average.

Hartford would strike first, scoring the opening basket off their first field goal attempt from Taylor Clark. The Hawks would keep that early lead, despite a pair of ties, through the first 13-plus minutes, taking as much as a six point advantage on a 5-0 stretch with a jump shot from Lumb and a three pointer from Amber Bepko.

Penn State wouldn't take its first, and only, lead of the game until after the under eight timeout in the first half when Lucas scored on a layup. That basket sparked a 10-3 run for the Lady Lions, ending in a 29-21 lead with less than five minutes left in the half. Hartford would break that momentum with a pair of free throws from Shanise Bultron. Mayza would then break a near three-minute drought without a bucket, sinking her first of two three pointers off a feed from Englert.

Hartford would end the half scoring four of the final six points to trail the Lady Lions 37-31 at the intermission. The final two baskets for Hartford came on a layup from Englert and a jump shot from La'Trice Hall, which came thanks to the seventh assist of the half from the senior point guard, Englert.

Coming out of the intermission, PSU extended its lead into double figures in the first five minutes, scoring 10 of the first 14 points to take a 47-35 lead with 14:48 remaining. Hartford would cut that lead back into single digits thanks to another three pointer from Mayza, this one coming off a feed from Lumb.

A series of three-straight jump shots from Lucas, broken up only by a layup from Moore, provided Penn State's largest lead to that point at 56-42 with 9:07 remaining. Hall would end that Lucas streak with a pair of free throws. The Hawks were unable to string together more than one basket the remainder of the game as the Lady Lions saw their largest lead come with two minutes remaining courtesy of back-to-back of layups from Kaliyah Mitchell and Alex Harris.

The Hawks will close out the non-conference portion of their schedule, after ringing in the New Year, when they welcome the Dartmouth Big Green to the Chase Family Arena on Saturday, January 4. After posting a 60-42 victory last season at Dartmouth, the Hawks have now won seven straight against the Ivy League opponent. Hartford and Dartmouth are scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip off with the game broadcast live on the America East Digital Network (AmericaEast.tv).