BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Junior Bridget Monaghan (Florham Park, N.J./Morristown-Beard) matched her career-high with 30 points and The University of Scranton women's basketball team (14-2, 5-0 Landmark) pulled away from Moravian in a 69-51 victory over the Greyhounds (4-11, 2-2 Landmark) on Wednesday night at Johnston Hall in Bethlehem.

Monaghan had previously scored 30 in a 74-68 victory over DeSales back on Nov. 13.

This also marks the eighth straight win overall for the Lady Royals.

The two teams traded baskets for a majority of the first quarter and a layup from Monaghan in the final seconds made it a 17-14 game in favor of Scranton after one. Monaghan also opened the scoring in the second quarter with another layup to fuel an 8-1 run that opened up a double digit lead at 25-15 with 3:01 to play. The junior struck again in the final seconds of the quarter with a pair of free throws in the waning seconds to give the Lady Royals a 31-19 lead at halftime.

Defensively, Scranton was able to limit the Greyhounds to just two field goals in the quarter.

Leading 37-26 with 6:50 to play in the third quarter, graduate student Abby Anderson (Scranton, Pa./Holy Cross) converted a three-point play and sophomore Maddie Hartnett (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) buried a three of her own to quickly extend the lead to 17 points for the time being. This is where the Greyhounds battled back as they trailed 53-39 at the end of three before opening the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run capped by a Jackie Kelly layup that sliced the lead to eight at 53-45 with 8:15 remaining. Junior Sara Walsh (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) quickly answered for the visitors with a layup of her own to ignite a 12-2 spurt and classmate Hannah Angelini (Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers) made a bucket of her own for a 65-47 lead with 3:08 to play to put the game out of reach.

Monaghan led all scorers with her 30 points on 13-of-17 shooting and was joined in double figures by Anderson and Walsh who had 10 apiece. Anderson also chipped in with six rebounds and five assists on the night.

Kayla Yoegel was the lone Greyhound in double figures with 19 points.

The Lady Royals shot 43.1% (28-of-65) from the floor and 28.6% (6-of-21) from deep, while limiting Moravian to a 25.8% clip (16-of-62) from the field and 27.8% (5-of-18) from long range. Scranton also held a slight 44-41 advantage in the rebounding battle led by eight boards from sophomore Maddy Ryan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy).

Scranton returns home to host Elizabethtown in a Landmark Conference tilt on Saturday afternoon with opening tip in the John Long Center at 4 p.m. Both teams enter the game unbeaten in conference play thus far as the Lady Royals are 5-0 and the Blue Jays are 4-0.

--LADY ROYALS--