Box Score ITHACA, N.Y. – The host Ithaca College Bombers (2-0) shot 56.6% from the floor and this proved too much to overcome for The No. 12 University of Scranton women's basketball team (2-1) in a 75-53 loss to the Bombers on Wednesday night at Ben Light Gymnasium in Ithaca.
This marked the first meeting between the two teams since a 65-53 Lady Royals victory on Dec. 15, 2018 and the 15th all-time.
Ithaca raced out to a 15-3 lead out of the gate and led 18-7 after one quarter. In the early stages of the second quarter, graduate student Abby Anderson (Scranton, Pa./Holy Cross) hit a three to cut the lead to eight at 20-12 with 8:13 to play, but Ithaca extended the lead back to double digits. A few minutes later, sophomore Maddie Hartnett (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) sank a pair of free throws to slice things once again to eight at 27-19 before Ithaca took a 32-21 lead at halftime.
Camryn Coffey connected on a three-pointer for the hosts to start the second half and unfortunately for the Lady Royals, they were unable to get any closer than 11 the rest of the way which came at the end of the third quarter when senior Emily Shurina (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) hit a layup to cut the deficit to 52-41. A jumper from junior Bridget Monaghan (Florham Park, N.J./Morristown-Beard) in the opening minute of the fourth quarter also cut things to 11 at 54-43, but the Bombers answered with a quick 11-5 spurt that extended the lead to 17.
Monaghan knocked down 6-of-7 from the free throw line and led Scranton with 15 points on the night, while she was joined in double figures by Anderson (14 points) and Shurina (10). Anderson also added four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 20 minutes of action for head coach Nick DiPillo's squad.
Grace Cannon was one of four Ithaca players to finish in double figures with 16 points on the night.
Scranton was held to 32.6% shooting (15-of-46) from the floor, while the Bombers were 30-of-53 (56.6% from the field and 8-of-15 (53.3%) from long range.
The Lady Royals return home for a pair of contests this weekend as they will host King's (Pa.) on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Wilkes on Sunday at 3 p.m. as part of the annual Cross-County Challenge that will be held at the John Long Center in Scranton.
--LADY ROYALS--
