Postgame Press Conference

HOLLAND, Mich. – Timely shooting from NYU and 21 turnovers ultimately proved costly as The University of Scranton women's basketball team (27-3) saw the 2021-22 campaign come to an end with a 73-54 loss to the Violets (25-1) in a Sweet 16 matchup on Friday night at DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland.

This marked the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs with all five having come in the NCAA Tournament. However, Friday marked the first meeting since an 81-60 Lady Royals victory on Mar. 13, 1999.

NYU advances to play the winner of Millikin (Ill.)/Hope in Saturday's Elite 8 contest that will get underway at 7 p.m.

The Lady Royals had won 21 straight entering play on Friday and were making their sixth Sweet 16 appearance in the last eight seasons.

Scranton got off to a blazing fast start out of the gate and a three-pointer from graduate student Abby Anderson (Scranton, Pa./Holy Cross) capped off an 11-0 run over the first 4:18. Junior Hannah Angelini (Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers) followed with a three of her own on the next possession as a 14-2 Lady Royals lead at the 5:04 mark forced an NYU timeout. From there, the Violets battled back to cut the lead to three before a late free throw from junior Emma Duerr (Long Valley, N.J./Morris Catholic) made it a 17-13 game after one. In the early stages of the second quarter, the Lady Royals held a 19-18 edge after a floater from junior Bridget Monaghan (Florham Park, N.J./Morristown-Beard) before Natalie Bruns sank a jumper to ignite a 14-5 run for NYU that resulted in a 32-24 lead for the Violets with 5:16 left in the second stanza. Monaghan added another jumper in the final minute of the half, but NYU still led 37-30 at the break.

The Lady Royals were able to get back within four on two occasions at 38-34 and 40-36 as the latter score held for two plus minutes of the third period. Bruns hit a layup to snap the scoreless drought at the 4:10 mark and kickstart a 12-5 spurt for the Violets over the remainder of the quarter which to a 52-41 advantage. As has been the case all season, Scranton fought back behind consecutive threes from Anderson and sophomore Maddie Hartnett (Chatham, N.J./Chatham), which sliced the deficit to seven at 54-47 with 7:47 to play in the fourth quarter. However, NYU responded with consecutive threes of their own and an Erica Miller triple stretched the lead to 60-47 with six plus minutes left as the advantage would stay in double digits the rest of the way.

Angelini paced the Lady Royals with a career-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while Monaghan tallied 14 and Anderson chipped in with 10. The 16 for Angelini surpassed her previous career-best of 14 that had been set earlier this season in a victory at Susquehanna on Jan. 12.

Miller hit six threes to lead four NYU players in double figures with 20 points and Brooklyn Shelton added 17 off the bench.

Scranton shot 39.2% (20-of-51) from the floor and 35.3% (6-of-17) from beyond the arc and the Violets were 25-of-57 (43.9%) from the field and 11-of-26 (42.3%) from deep. Turnovers were a story throughout as the Lady Royals committed 21 miscues that led to 17 NYU points and the Violets had 17 turnovers of their own.

The 2021-22 Lady Royals' roster featured four seniors and a graduate student: Anderson, Kayla Farney (Webster, N.Y./Webster-Thomas), Carly Heineman (Abington, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy Academy), Danielle McCurdy (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and Emily Shurina (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow).

--LADY ROYALS--