GLASSBORO, N.J. – Sophomore Kaci Kranson (Scranton, Pa./Holy Cross) registered a double-double and the No. 6 University of Scranton women's basketball team (1-0) forced 27 Rowan turnovers in a 66-52 victory over the Profs (0-1) in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday night at Esby Gym in Glassboro.

This marked the third-ever meeting between the two teams and the first since Jan. 2, 2004.

After posting four double-doubles a season ago, Kranson tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds in the contest.

The Lady Royals held an 8-5 lead in the early going following a three by graduate student Hannah Angelini (Baldwin Place, N.Y./Somers), but Rowan quickly responded with 10 straight points to close out the first quarter with a 15-8 lead. Rowan's Kate Herlihy then sank a three to open the scoring in the second period and the Profs held their biggest lead of the game at 18-8. This was where the Scranton rally began as Angelini hit a layup to spark a 10-0 run including six straight points from Kranson to tie the game at 18 apiece. The Lady Royals took the lead for good at 25-23 with sophomore Kaeli Romanowski's (Lake Ariel, Pa./Western Wayne) jumper and held Rowan without a point over the final 3:58 of the half to take a 30-23 lead into the locker room.

In the third quarter, Rowan was unable to get any closer than five and the Lady Royals used four straight free throws from Romanowski and graduate student Victoria Toomey (Dunmore, Pa./Dunmore) along with Toomey's layup at the buzzer that made it 46-36. After a pair of Profs' free throws that drew the hosts within nine at 52-43, senior Maddie Hartnett (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) buried a three to ignite a 9-2 run and Kranson capped the run with a jumper for a 61-45 advantage with 2:48 to play.

Five different Scranton players scored nine or more points on the night as Kranson led the way with 17, Angelini added 12 on 5-of-7 shooting, senior Maddy Ryan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) had 11, Toomey chipped in with 10 and Romanowski had nine points.

Romanowski recorded five of the Lady Royals' 17 steals and Angelini came through with four of her own.

Nicole Mallard paced Rowan with 25 points in the setback.

Scranton shot 37.1% (26-of-70) from the floor, 22.2% (2-of-9) from beyond the arc and 92.3% (12-of-13) from the free throw line, while holding the Profs to 31.1% (14-of-45) from the field and 7-of-18 (38.9%) from deep.

Head coach Ben O'Brien's team held a 42-36 edge on the boards led by Kranson's 10 and seven from Toomey.

The Lady Royals are back in action on Monday night at Marywood with tip-off slated for 6 p.m.

--LADY ROYALS--