HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Senior forward Meredith Mesaris (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) had a season-high 31 points and The University of Scranton women's basketball team shot more than 50 percent from the field for the fifth time this season en route to an 81-47 victory over Juniata on Saturday afternoon in Memorial Gymnasium.
The victory gives the Lady Royals (20-2, 12-1 Landmark) a two-game lead in the Landmark Conference with three games remaining. It also marks the 30th time in the program's 40-year history that the Lady Royals have won at least 20 games.
Senior guard Lindsay Fluehr (Bensalem, Pa./Nazareth Academy) had nine assists on Saturday, giving her 503 for her career, one shy of equaling the Lady Royals' career record, held by Kelly Halpin (1996-00).
Scranton finished the game shooting 50.8 percent (31-for-61), including seven of 14 from 3-point range. Mesaris was 12-for-17 from the floor and is now shooting 51.7 percent on the season. Saturday's game was her fourth of the season and eighth of her career with 30 or more points.
The Lady Royals also received 14 points from sophomore forward Sarah Payonk (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford) and 12 points, all in the first half, from junior guard Noelle Alicea (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East).
With Mesaris, Payonk and sophomore forward Alexix Roman (Hawley, Pa./Wallenpaupack) patrolling the middle, Scranton had an eye-opening 46-6 advantage in points in the paint. Roman finished with six points, six rebounds, a career-high three assists and two blocks in 16 minutes off the bench.
The Lady Royals won the rebounding battle, 44-32, behind a team-high eight from Mesaris.
Even with the dominating performance in the middle, Scranton was efficient from long distance, as well. Senior guard Lia DiSciascio (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) entered the game as one of the top 3-point shooters in the nation and continued that, hitting three of five from beyond the arc. Alicea hit both of her 3-point attempts and junior guard Jaclyn Gantz (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) was 2-for-4 from long distance.
Scranton, which led 43-21 at halftime, matched its season low with 10 turnovers while dishing out 19 assists, including four by Payonk. The Lady Royals forced 18 turnovers that led to 24 points.
Juniata (8-14, 6-7 Landmark) received a team-high 10 points from sophomore forward Katy Leamer (Bellwood, Pa./Bellwood-Antis). The Eagles shot 28.6 percent (16-for-56), including 8-for-31 (25.8 percent) from 3-point range. It marked the eighth time this season Scranton has held an opponent below 30 percent from the field.
Scranton can clinch the top seed in the Landmark Conference playoffs when it visits second-place Susquehanna (16-5, 9-3 Landmark) on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m.
--LADY ROYALS--