ARLINGTON, Va.— The Marymount (Va.) University women's basketball team pulled its 15th Capital Athletic Conference victory on Wednesday night, completing a season sweep of Salisbury University with a 50-38 decision. The Saints move to 20-4 overall this season, 15-2 in conference play.
Marymount started off the game on a high note with a steal from sophomore Nicole Viscuso followed by a strong finish by sophomore Leah Hurst for the first bucket of the game. The Saints' defense rattled the Sea Gulls after grabbing a total of six steals throughout the first quarter. Senior Kievanna Lacey and Viscusso led the defense after grabbing two steals of their own. Four different Saints contributed to the scoring, all notching two apiece, while pulling down four offensive rebounds out of the six total boards in the quarter. In a strong defensive 10-minute stretch, Marymount carried a one-point advantage but both teams were held to single digits, 8-7.
The second quarter produced the same battle on the defensive end, but the Saints prevailed on top, leading at the half, 22-16. During the quarter, the score swayed twice, but Marymount ended the half on an 8-0 run with three Saints contributing. Lacey lead both teams in points at the break, sinking nine in the first half. Seven of eight Saints had rebounds during the half with senior Miranda Krott and Viscuso leading the way with three each, while Lacey and senior Aileen Maknati each gathered two.
The third quarter proved to be the turning point for the Saints, as they took their first strong lead of the game. Hurst opened up the second half with a steal and finish at the opposite end. The Saints pieced together several small runs to give themselves breathing room, including reaching a double-digit advantage by the 6:06 mark when Maknati dished a pass off to junior Kiki Laux for the finish inside. Laux put up six points for the Saints, while four other Saints contributed. Although the Sea Gulls cut the deficit to five off a three-point by Salisbury's Mary McDonagh, freshman Tyffani McQueen capped off a 16-point quarter for the Saints with a layup to take a 38-29 lead into the final stretch.
Viscuso got the Saints started with a quick jump shot in the fourth quarter. On the defensive end, Marymount picked up two steals, both of which led to back-to-back baskets at the other end. The Saints continued to build their lead and kept up the pressure on the defensive end until the final buzzer. The advantage was pushed to as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter, as the Saints coasted to a 50-38 victory.
Three Saints found double figures in scoring for the game with Viscuso and Lacey notching 11 points each and Hurst chipping in for 10 after going a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor. Krott paced the defense with a game-high six rebounds to go along with three steals, two assists and three points.
The Saints will head on the road for a rematch against No. 17 Christopher Newport University, a squad that hasn't dropped a contest since December 5, 2015 when Marymount collected a 49-44 victory. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., in the Ferguson Center.