MADISON, N.J. – Sophomore Kaci Kranson (Scranton, Pa./Holy Cross) scored a career-high 33 points and The No. 6 University of Scranton women's basketball team (8-0, 3-0 Landmark) cruised to an 87-47 victory over the Drew Rangers (2-4, 1-2 Landmark) on Wednesday night at Baldwin Gym in Madison.
Kranson's career-best 33 came on 13-of-19 shooting and surpassed her previous career-high of 30 that came in a victory versus TCNJ on Nov. 18.
With the victory, the Lady Royals improve to 88-0 all-time against Drew.
Scranton quickly grabbed an early 9-2 lead at the 5:41 mark of the first quarter after a three-point play by Kranson and later held an 18-5 advantage following a three from freshman Meghan Lamanna (New Providence, N.J./New Providence). The Lady Royals led 21-10 after one quarter. In the second quarter, Scranton held a 30-19 lead when Kranson sank a jumper at the 6:08 mark to ignite a 17-9 run over the remainder of the stanza and graduate student Kyra Quigley's (Drexel Hill, Pa./Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr) layup made it a 47-28 game at the half.
Drew opened the scoring in the third quarter before Kranson converted another three-point play which sparked a 15-2 run and Lamanna hit a three to extend the lead to 62-32 with 2:12 left in the period. Freshman Katie Gorski (Pine Brook, N.J./Montville Township) then sank a layup at the buzzer to give the visitors a 64-36 advantage headed into the fourth. Fellow freshman Elizabeth Bennett (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph Hill Academy) scored eight points in the fourth quarter as the Lady Royals led by as many as 42 at one point and remained unbeaten on the season.
Lamanna joined Kranson in double figures with 11 points and sophomore Kaeli Romanowski (Lake Ariel, Pa./Western Wayne) added nine points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Amy Rachilla paced the Rangers with 12 points.
The Lady Royals shot 41.0% (32-of-78) from the floor, 28.9% (11-of-38) from beyond the arc and 92.3% (12-of-13) from deep, while holding Drew to 31.0% (18-of-58) from the field and 23.1% (3-of-13) from long range.
Head coach Ben O'Brien's team held a commanding 54-33 edge on the glass including 28 offensive rebounds which led to 25 second chance points. Kranson led the Lady Royals with nine boards, while Quigley, Romanowski and seniors Allie Lynch (Villanova, Pa./Academy of Notre Dame de Namur) and Maddy Ryan (Malvern, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) all added six apiece.
Scranton returns home to host Goucher in a Landmark clash on Saturday afternoon with opening tip at the John Long Center slated for 4 p.m.
--ROYALS--
