Box Score
Box Score
SCRANTON, Pa. - Senior forward Alexix Roman (Hawley, Pa./Wallenpaupack) earned Most Valuable Player honors after scoring a game-high 27 points, as the third-ranked University of Scranton women's basketball team captured the 2016 Hilton Scranton Poinsettia Classic with a 75-69victory over Stockton on Sunday afternoon inside the John Long Center.
With the win, Scranton remained unbeaten on the year at 10-0, while Stockton dropped to 9-2 overall with the loss.
The victory was also an historic one for Scranton head coach Trevor Woodruff, as he won his 200th career game as an NCAA Division III head coach, coaching both men and women for the last 12 seasons.
In the opening frame of the win, Roman started hot, scoring 13 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, including a basket with eight seconds left that gave Scranton a 20-17 lead after the first quarter.
The contest remained a close one throughout the second period, as with 2:31 left in the first half, it was deadlocked at 35-all (the seventh tie in the ballgame to that point).
Both teams failed to score a basket over the next two-plus minutes, but it was Scranton who got the last laugh to end the first half, as sophomore guard Bridgette Mann (Canadensis, Pa./Wallenpaupack) nailed a three-pointer with 11 seconds left to give Scranton a slim 38-35 edge entering intermission.
The third quarter proved to be the decisive period of the contest, as the Lady Royals rode the wave of Mann's three to end the first half into a 15-4 run, catapulting Scranton into a 51-39 lead with 4:16 left in the third quarter.
Over the final four minutes of the quarter, Scranton continued to control the contest, as a lay-in by senior forward Denise Rizzo (Paramus, N.J./Holy Angels) gave the Lady Royals a 57-46 lead entering the final period. In all, Scranton outscored Stockton 19-11 in the third period.
The fourth quarter saw the Lady Royals hold a sizeable lead until a 10-4 spurt by Stockton in the middle of the period sliced the Scranton lead down to 66-62 with 3:50 to go in regulation. The Lady Royals, however, countered over the next minute, extending the lead out to 71-64 with 2:27 left.
But, Stockton did not go out quietly, as a three-pointer with 1:30 left cut the Scranton lead down to 72-69. On the next Scranton possession, freshman guard Emily Sheehan (Dunmore, Pa./Dunmore) was fouled going to the basket, and nailed two big free throws to extend the lead back out to 74-69 with 58 seconds left.
On their next possession, Stockton turned it over, then missed a three-pointer with 13 seconds left that would've cut the Scranton lead down to two. A made free throw by Mann with seven seconds left sealed the deal for the Lady Royals, as Scranton captured their 23rd straight home regular season contest in the tough six-point win.
Overall, Roman had her best night of the young season in the win, scoring 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor. She also made nine free throws in the win and pulled down eight rebounds, as well.
Mann, who was named to the Hilton Scranton Poinsettia Classic All-Tournament Team, finished with 15 points and dished out a career-high nine assists. Freshman guard Mackenzie Yori (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) rounded out the double-digit scorers for Scranton with 13 points.
Meanwhile, senior forward Sarah Payonk (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford) ended with eight points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Sheehan also finished with eight points, as well.
The University of Scranton women's basketball team returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to Lebanon Valley for the final game of the 2016 portion of their schedule Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
--LADY ROYALS--
