BAYAMON, Puerto Rico – Junior guard Christina Hiltunen (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) came off the bench to score 13 points and The University of Scranton women's basketball team jumped out to a double-digit lead, then held on to beat Alvernia, 61-56, on Tuesday afternoon at the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon.
Hiltunen also contributed four assists, four steals and three rebounds in 22 minutes, and fellow junior guard Katherine Torto (Binghamton, N.Y./Seton Catholic Central) added 12 points, five rebounds and four steals as Scranton improved to 5-4 on the season.
The Lady Royals took a 34-21 lead late in the first half, but Alvernia (4-5) scored the final six points of the half to pull within seven at the break. Scranton then pushed the lead to double-digits after the break, leading at one point by 17, 51-34, but the Crusaders rallied to within four in the closing minutes before buckets by junior forwards Tayler Pallotta (Dunmore, Pa./Dunmore) and Erin Boggan (Danbury, Conn./Danbury) helped seal the victory.
Pallotta finished with seven points and nine rebounds, Boggan had six points, seven rebounds and three blocks, and sophomore guard Alison Sweeney (Wall, N.J./Saint Rose) had nine points for the Lady Royals.
Scranton forced 18 turnovers, including 15 steals, and also blocked six shots. The Lady Royals outrebounded the Crusaders, 40-37, while improving to 4-0 all-time against Alvernia.
The victory came in the first game for the Lady Royals after head coach Mike Strong set the NCAA Division III women's basketball career record for victories with win no. 758 against Cabrini on Saturday, Dec. 17.
Alvernia, which enjoyed an 18-8 advantage at the free throw line, was led by 18 points and seven rebounds from senior center Angela Altemose (Pottsville, Pa./Nativity BVM) and 11 points and eight rebounds from senior forward Allie Toczylowski (Mantua, N.J./Clearview Regional).
The Lady Royals are back in action in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, Dec. 21, when they face Franklin & Marshall at noon.
--LADY ROYALS--