Box Score
Box Score
Photo gallery (by Emma Black)
Photo gallery (by Dan Ceccacci)
SCRANTON, Pa. - Junior forward Alexix Roman (Hawley, Pa./Wallenpaupack) posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, as the University of Scranton women's basketball team never trailed in an impressive 66-48 victory over Johnson & Wales (R.I.) on Tuesday afternoon as part of the 2015 Hilton Scranton Poinsettia Classic inside the John Long Center.
With the win, Scranton (who is now ranked 16th in the USA Today Division III Coaches Poll) moved to 8-0 on the year, marking the second straight season the Lady Royals have started off with victories in their first eight games. Johnson & Wales fell to 7-1 with the loss.
In a close first quarter that did see Scranton never relinquish an early 2-0 lead, Johnson & Wales remained in distance for the first 10 minutes, as the Lady Royals held a 16-9 lead entering the second quarter. There, a quick 8-2 burst gave Scranton their first double-digit lead of the night at 24-11 with 5:51 left in the half.
From there, the double-digit lead held into the break, as Scranton went into intermission up 28-17 on the visiting Wildcats. However, in the third quarter, Johnson & Wales came out on the attack, eventually cutting the Scranton lead all the way down to 36-30 with 2:56 left in the period.
Here, Scranton began a run that put away the Wildcats for the night. The Lady Royals ended the period on a 7-4 run, punctuated by a three by sophomore Katie O'Reilly (Montville, N.J./Montville) at the buzzer, giving Scranton a 43-34 lead entering the final quarter of action.
In the fourth, Scranton maintained a large lead for most the quarter, and ended the game on a 13-4 run to coast past the Wildcats to move onto the Championship game of the Hilton Scranton Poinsettia Classic.
Overall Roman led the way again for Scranton, marking the seventh time in eight games she has done so. She also notched fourth double-double of the season, which have come in the last five games for Scranton, and has scored in double-figures in all eight games on the year for the Lady Royals
Elsewhere, freshman guard Bridgette Mann (Canadensis, Pa./Wallenpaupack) added 16 points, while junior forward Sarah Payonk (Schweksville, Pa./Spring-Ford) rounded out the double-digit scorers for Scranton with 10 points, while also adding a career-high nine assists and seven rebounds.
Scranton will take on Eastern tomorrow in the championship game of the 2015 Hilton Scranton Poinsettia Classic, as the Eagles coasted by Farmingdale State in the first game of the Classic earlier in the day, 91-59. Game time is set for 5 p.m. on Wednesday at the Long Center.
--LADY ROYALS--
