SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University women's basketball team made its pandemic-shortened 2021 count in the biggest way, finishing an undefeated 6-0 after besting the Marymount (Va.) Saints 57-39 on Monday night at the Maggs PAC.

BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Sea Gulls volleyed the opening tip to a streaking Lauren Fortescue, who cruised to the basket for a layup four seconds in. Amber Onyekwere soon followed with a layup of her own off a Saints turnover to give Salisbury a quick 4-0 lead.
• Another Fortescue layup eventually made it 8-2 SU at the 6:09 mark of the first quarter. From there MMU launched a rally, scoring the next eight points and taking a 10-8 lead on a Katie McShea jumper with 1:04 to go in the period. Kaylee Otlowski netted a second-chance layup with eight seconds left to tie it at 10-10 after the first.
• In the second quarter, the Sea Gulls really clamped down on defense, holding the Saints to just six points. Otlowski answered an Ananda Claggett three to get Salisbury within 13-12, and at the 7:07 mark, Emily Dilger stole the ball and nailed a jumper to give SU a lead at 14-13 that they would not relinquish.
• Dilger again converted on a scoop-and-score, then Fortescue added a layup and Kylie Webb took a feed from Dilger and connected from three-point range, forcing the Saints to call a timeout. The SU run continued on Ashlynn Burrows' jumper and another Fortescue layup, and Jada Welbon's two free throws at the 2:24 mark made it a 17-0 Salisbury run in a span of six-plus minutes.
• Claggett finally stopped the bleeding for Marymount with another three, and SU got one more free throw to head into halftime up 28-16.
• Salisbury again held MMU under 10 points in the third quarter. Otlowski hit an early jumper, then the Saints scored five in a row to get within 30-21 at the 5:43 mark.
• Otlowski hit a jay with 5:18 to go and took a feed from Webb for a layup half a minute later to fuel another Sea Gull push. Fortescue then made a strong pivot under the basket for a layup, and Dilger followed her own miss with an emphatic and-one at the 2:42 mark, converting the free throw to cap a 9-0 SU run. The teams traded a pair of points and then Welbon capped the third with a layup, putting the Sea Gulls on top 43-23.
• The Saints made a last gasp in the fourth quarter. Aidan Phillips hit a three at 6:45 to get MMU within 43-28, but Welbon immediately answered with a trey of her own. After the media timeout, Webb hit a jumper to put Salisbury up 50-30.
• Chandler Eddleton did her best to get Marymount back into it, going on a 6-2 push by herself to get it down to 52-36 Salisbury with 3:40 to go. It was too little too late, though, as Sym Deloatch scored three of SU's final five points and the Sea Gulls drained the clock on the game and the season.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Kaylee Otlowski clocked in her fifth double-double of the season and 21st overall, netting 16 points (8-of-13) and hauling in 16 rebounds. She also blocked three shots and dished out two assists. Otlowski finishes 2021 averaging a double-double (15.0 PPG, 12.8 RPG) for the second straight season.
• Lauren Fortescue added 12 points (5-of-11) with five rebounds and two steals. Jada Welbon came off the bench for eight points (2-of-6) and two steals, while Emily Dilger contributed seven points (3-of-6), five steals and four rebounds in 18 minutes off the pine.
• Seniors Amber Onyekwere and Courtney Brigham competed in the final game of their Sea Gull careers. Onyekwere finished with two points (1-of-5), one assist and one steal, while Brigham started, hauled down three boards and notched two steals.
• Salisbury shot 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from the floor. The Sea Gulls outrebounded the Saints 40-33, including 12-11 on the offensive end.
• The Sea Gulls' press defense claimed another victim in Marymount; SU punched 14 steals and won the turnover battle 23-17.
• At 6-0, Salisbury completed its seventh undefeated season in program history and the first since 1955-56. That year the Aletha Whitney-led Sea Gulls finished 7-0 after going 9-0 during the previous season.

MARYMOUNT GAME NOTES

• Katie McShea led all scorers with 17 points (6-of-16), adding six rebounds in 32 minutes.
• Ananda Claggett and Chandler Eddleton each netted six points, and no other Saints player scored more than three.
• Marymount shot a mere 28 percent (14-of-50) from the floor. Their 39 points mark the third time in six games Salisbury held an opponent under 45 points.

UP NEXT

• Salisbury finished the season 6-0 and now turns its attention to the offseason in preparation for the 2021-22 winter season. Visit suseagulls.com for further updates.