Danielle McCurdy	Bridget Monaghan

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The University of Scranton women's basketball team (1-0, 1-0 Landmark) returned to the court for their first game in 340 days and held Moravian to 24.6% shooting in a 56-47 win over the Greyhounds (3-1, 2-1 Landmark) on Tuesday night at Johnston Hall in Bethlehem.

Scranton trailed Moravian by a 14-9 margin at the end of the first quarter, but outscored the Greyhounds 17-8 in the second quarter and would not trail for the remainder of the game. Back-to-back three-pointers from junior Emily Shurina (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) and sophomore Bridget Monaghan (Florham Park, N.J./Morristown-Beard) gave the Lady Royals a 21-18 advantage with 6:36 left in the second quarter, a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Monaghan led Scranton with 16 points and four steals, while Shurina added 10 points and six rebounds on the night. Freshman Maddie Hartnett (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) tallied seven points in her collegiate debut for the Lady Royals and junior Danielle McCurdy (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) added four points, nine rebounds and a career-high six blocks.

The six blocks are the most by a Scranton player since Sarah Payonk had seven blocks on Jan. 21, 2015 at Moravian.

A total of 10 different players scored in the contest for the Lady Royals.

Madison Amy was the lone Greyhound in double figures with a game-high 22 points.

Scranton scored the first five points of the game and led 9-5 with 3:42 to play in the first quarter, but Moravian closed the opening period on a 9-0 run capped by a three-point play from Morgan Amy. The afore-mentioned three-pointer from Monaghan capped a 12-4 Scranton run to open the second quarter. Freshman Allie Lynch (Villanova, Pa./Academy of Notre Dame de Namur) buried a triple with 2:10 left in the second to make it a 26-22 game and the visitors took that lead into the locker room.

The Lady Royals led 31-28 with 5:51 in the third quarter before a Monaghan jumper ignited a 10-0 run over the next 3:21 to open a 13-point lead at 41-28 with 2:30 to play in the period. Moravian would not get closer than six the rest of the way and a three-pointer from Monaghan with 2:30 left in the game matched the largest lead of the night at 13 at 56-43.

Head coach Nick DiPillo's squad shot 34.0% (18-of-53) from the floor and 5-of-23 (21.7%) from three-point range, while sinking 15-of-18 (83.3%) from the charity stripe. Scranton held the Greyhounds to the 24.6% shooting (16-of-65) from the field and 21.4% (3-of-14) from deep.

The Lady Royals held a 49-38 edge on the boards led by a career-high 11 rebounds from sophomore Kyra Quigley (Drexel Hill, Pa./Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr) and nine from McCurdy.

The University of Scranton women's basketball team will host Drew in the first game of a home-and-home series on Friday night. Opening tip at the John Long Center is set for 7 p.m.

--LADY ROYALS--