NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 6 University of Scranton women's basketball team (11-0) shot 50.8% from the floor and rolled to a 78-35 victory over the Mount Saint Mary College Knights (5-4) on Friday evening at the Kaplan Recreation Center in Newburgh.

This marked the third-ever meeting between the two programs and the first since Dec. 17, 2007.

Scranton scored the first 10 points of the game as a steal and ensuing layup by sophomore Kaeli Romanowski (Lake Ariel, Pa./Western Wayne) made it 10-0 at the 5:30 mark of the first quarter. Later in the period, the Knights cut the lead to 12-5 before freshman Elizabeth Bennett (Staten Island, N.Y./Saint Joseph Hill Academy) hit a layup of her own and senior Maddy Ryan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) scored six straight points to give the Lady Royals a 20-6 edge after one. Ryan then scored 10 straight points for the visitors to open up a 30-8 lead with 6:21 to go in the second quarter. From there, Bennett and fellow freshman Meghan Lamanna (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) each buried a pair of threes that extended the lead to 42-12 and the Lady Royals later took a 48-14 advantage into the locker room.

The two teams traded baskets for a majority of the third quarter when Bennett connected on a three to spark a 7-2 spurt over the final 2:36 and Scranton held a 60-23 advantage after three. Head coach Ben O'Brien's team held Mount Saint Mary to 12 points or less in all four quarters and led by as many as 46 at 78-32 following junior Morgan Brewer's (Vernon, N.Y./Vernon Verona Sherrill) three.

Ryan led the Lady Royals offensively with a season-high 19 points, while Bennett scored a season-high 11 and Brewer and Lamanna added nine apiece. For Brewer, the nine points also marked a career-best.

Brianna Guglielmo paced the Knights with 12 points in the setback.

Scranton was 32-of-63 (50.8%) from the floor and 10-of-20 (50.0%) from beyond the arc, while holding the Knights to a 19.6% (11-of-56) clip from the field and 18.2% (4-of-22) from deep.

The Lady Royals held a 41-30 edge on the boards behind five apiece from Romanowski and sophomore Kaci Kranson (Scranton, Pa./Holy Cross).

Following a break for Christmas, Scranton will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at Elizabethtown with opening tip slated for 7 p.m.

--LADY ROYALS--