The University of Scranton women's basketball team fought off the Misericordia University Cougars to win their season-opening game, 60-50, on Monday night in Dallas, Pa.
The Basics
- Final Score: Scranton 60, Misericordia 50
- Records: Scranton (1-0, 0-0 Landmark), Misericordia (1-1, 0-0 MAC)
How It Happened
First Half
- The Cougars started off the game with back-to-back three-pointers, but Selena Cieszko fired one of her own, Sophia Talutto connected with a jumper, and Elizabeth Bennett cashed in from three-point range to cut the deficit to one point.
- Ciesko drove into the lane through contact to add another two points with a floater. Then, with thirty seconds left in the quarter, she found Annie Conover for three. The Royals trailed 14-13 at the end of the first.
- Scranton opened the second quarter on a 10-0 run, with Ciezko, Conover, Katie Gorski, and Kelsey Miedreich getting on the scoresheet.
- The Cougars fought back, but layups from Talutto and Miedreich, and a putback from Bennett, gave the Royals a 29-24 advantage at the half.
Second Half
- Right off the opening whistle, Ciesko drove down the center of the lane to connect with another floater, and Bennett in the short-corner found Gorski wide open in the lane for another two points to increase the lead to 33-26.
- Conover connected for three from the right wing, but the Cougars scored eight straight to cut the lead to one with 3:12 left in the third.
- Gorski scored back-to-back buckets to halt the Cougars' charge, as the Royals entered the fourth with a narrow three-point lead, 44-41.
- Gorski knocked down a corner three and Ciesko found the lane once again to increase Scranton's lead to six, 6:10 left in the game
- The Royals sealed the victory on the free-throw line, converting 6-6 in the final three minutes to put away the Cougars, 60-50.
Inside the Box Score
- FG%: Scranton 37.9%, Misericordia 42.2%
- 3PT: Scranton 7–27, Misericordia 9–21
- FT: Scranton 9–12, Misericordia 3–3
- Rebounds: Scranton 35, Misericordia 29
Top Performers
Up Next
Women's Basketball returns to action Friday, November 13, at 7:00 PM in the John Long Center, as the Royals will face SUNY Cortland.
