GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. - Junior forward Makenzie Mason (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) matched a career-high with 24 points on the evening, leading The University of Scranton women's basketball team to a commanding 66-45 win over Gwynedd Mercy on Tuesday night.
With the win, the sixth-ranked Lady Royals moved to 10-0 on the year and extended their regular season non-conference winning streak out to 42 games overall. Gwynedd Mercy fell to 6-7 with the loss.
In the opening frame of the contest, things were tight between the squads throughout, as Gwynedd Mercy scored the final six points of the period to tie it up at 10-10 after the first 10 minutes of action.
The second quarter, however, saw the Lady Royals take control of the contest, as they went on to outscore the host Griffins, 20-8, to take a 30-18 lead into halftime. In the quarter, Scranton used a 10-2 run to end the half, extending a 20-16 edge out to a 12-point advantage entering intermission.
It was more of the same for Scranton to start the second half, as the Lady Royals held a sizable double-digit lead throughout the third period. Up by 17 entering the fourth (50-33), Scranton went up 20 with 6:21 left in regulation (57-37) and coasted down the stretch, as they collected their sixth straight win by double-figures and the ninth such victory (in 10 total games) on the year to date.
Overall, Mason led the way in the contest, as she matched her career-high of 24 points (Mason scored 24 on Nov. 17 vs. Wilkes). Mason, who shot 10-of-14 from the floor in the win, also pulled down seven rebounds, dished out five assists, and blocked three shots.
Scranton's only other double-digit scorer on the evening was junior guard Emily Sheehan (Dunmore, Pa./Dunmore), who continued her strong play of late with a 16-point performance. Rounding out the top scorers for the Lady Royals were junior Sofia Recupero (Whitestone, N.Y./Saint Francis Prep) and freshman Emily Shurina (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow), who scored eight points, apiece.
Once again, the Scranton defense was strong all night, as they held Gwynedd Mercy to just 28.8 percent shooting from the floor (17-of-59) and 15.4 percent from three-point range (2-of-13). The 45 points are the fewest the Lady Royals have given up on the year to date, as well.
The Lady Royals will now be idle as they celebrate the Christmas holiday over the next 12 days. Scranton will return to action on December 30, as they travel to Worcester, Mass. for the 2018 WPI Holiday Tournament. In their first game, the Lady Royals will take on Rogers Williams, which is set to start at 7 p.m.
--LADY ROYALS--