FEBRUARY 15, 2005
BOB ZIADIE
SCRANTON WOMEN HOLD OFF KING’S, 58-53
SCRANTON -- The host University of Scranton
women’s basketball team ended the game with a 7-3 run as the top-ranked
Lady Royals held off seventh-ranked King’s College 58-53 Tuesday in the
John Long Center.
With its 22nd consecutive win,
Scranton improved to 22-1 overall and clinched the top-seed for the
Freedom Conference playoffs at 12-0. King’s saw its eight-game win
streak come to an end as the Lady Monarchs slipped to 21-3 and 11-2. It
was a valiant effort by the Lady Monarchs who played without starting
guard Vienna Spitler and backup center Andrea Hochstuhl who missed the
game with injuries.
King’s trailed by as many as nine points
in the second half before the Lady Monarchs would rally. With Scranton
ahead 47-38 with 10:40 remaining, King’s would go on a 10-2 run, keyed
by four points each from Kristin Yeasted, Lauren Kendra, and Beth Jordan.
Kendra’s bucket with 5:28 left brought the Lady Monarchs to within
49-48. After the teams traded baskets, Scranton’s Julie Brophy nailed a
three-pointer with 4:24 left to up the lead to 54-50.
After Yeasted made one of two foul shots,
Lady Royal junior Erin Healy had a big steal and lay-up to increase the
Scranton lead to 54-50 with 1:19 remaining. After the teams traded
turnovers, King’s was forced to foul. Lady Royal senior made both
charity tossed with 0:33 left to push the score to 56-51. Jordan would
score for King’s with 0:17 left to bring King’s within 56-53 . Kelly
Lewandowski was then fouled and missed the front end of a one-and-one with
0:15 on the clock. King’s would miss out on a chance to tie the game
when Lauren Bonanni’s three-pointer bounced off the rim with 0:04 left.
Allison Mat was fouled and made both attempts to push the final score to
58-53.
King’s opened up the game with a 7-4 lead
on a three-pointer from Jenna Palumbo and consecutive baskets by Jordan.
Scranton would answer with a 7-2 spurt and tool a, 11-9 lead when Taryn
Mellody hit a short jumper, then a three-pointer with 13:33.
The Lady Monarchs would take a 14-13 lead
when Bonanni hit a three-pointer with 11:37 remaining but Scranton
responded with consecutive baskets by Tara Gemmel to recapture the lead at
19-15 with 8:09 on the clock. King’s answered with a basket by Kristin
Yeasted and a thee-pointer from Ashley Whitehead to take a 20-19 lead with
7:11 on the clock.
The Lady Royals countered with a 10-2 run
to build a 29-22 lead, capped by a Healy basket with 3:26 left in the
half. King’s closed out the half by scoring the last five of the last
seven points of the opening stanza when Colette Makowiec hit a
three-pointer, then a driving layup with 0:03 on the clock as the Lady
Monarchs closed to within 31-27 at the break.
Mellody led all scorers with 11 points at
the half, including 6-of-6 from the foul line as the teams combined for
five lead changes while score was tied on five other occasions.
Mellody led Scranton withy 14 points but netted just two in the second
half. Webster had 12 points and nine rebounds while Gemmel added 12 points
and seven boards.
King’s was led by Jordan with 14 points and six boards while Yeasted
followed with 13points and nine rebounds. Kendra netted six points with
seven rebounds and five assists. Palumbo chipped in with six points while
Makowiec chipped in with five.
King’s will next host FDU-Florham in its
regular-season finale Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
