The College of New Jersey women's basketball team used a 10-0 run late in the first half to take an eight-point lead on its way to a 75-51 non-conference win over host Moravian College Tuesday evening in Johnston Hall.
The loss snapped Moravian's four-game winning streak as the Greyhounds were playing their final non-conference game of the season and the final contest in a seven-game homestand that began on January 2nd.
The Lions tooka 2-0 lead on a jumper from junior guard/forward Hannah Tait 21 seconds into the game, and Moravian responded with a jumper by senior forward Amy Heffner 11 seconds later. TCNJ moved ahead 8-2 on a jumper by junior guard Jessica Imhof before Heffner hit a three-pointer and a lay-up to pull the Greyhounds within 8-7 at the 14:42 mark.
Heffner added a jumper with 12:53 left in the first half, making the score 12-9 TCNJ, but that would be Heffner's final basket of the game. She added three free throws for a team high 12 points for Moravian as Heffner started the game four-for-six but missed her final eight shots. The Greyhounds would tie the contest at 14-14 on a three-pointer by freshman guard Alyssa Hann, and Moravian pulled ahead, 18-16, on a jumper from junior forward Alexandra Blair with 8:04 left in the first half.
The Lions then went on a 10-0 run to take a 26-18 lead on a jumper by Imhoff with 4:20 before the intermission. Moravian would get back within five points, 28-23, after a three-pointer by freshman guard Caitlin Hrebik but that is as close as the Greyhounds would be the rest of the way. Imhoff hit a three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to send TCNJ to the locker room with a 34-23 lead.
TCNJ had a hot shooting hand in the opening 20 minutes, making 15-of-24 field goal attempts (62.5 percent), its only three-point attempt and three-of-four free throws. The Lions had a 19-13 edge in rebounds despite making 15 turnovers in the first half. Moravian struggled shooting the ball in the first half, connecting on just eight-of-30 field goal attempts (26.7 percent), three-of-13 three-pointers and all four free throw attempts. The Greyhounds had ten turnovers in the opening half.
The Lions scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 41-23 lead on a lay-up from senior guard Keri Washington with 17:47 to go, and Moravian didn't score in the second half until a lay-up from senior guard/forward Emily Smith at the 16:48 mark. The Greyhounds got within 12 points twice, the final time on a jumper from Smith with 14:55 remaining but the Lions pulled away again, finally leading by 27 points in the final minute.
TCNJ continued its hot shooting in the second half, making 17-of-33 field goal attempts (51.5 percent), two-of-seven three-pointers and five-of-six free throws. The Lions had a 37-31 edge in rebounds for the game, and TCNJ had 23 turnovers while Moravian committed 25 miscues. The Greyhounds were ten-for-28 from the floor (35.7 percent), two-for-six on three-pointers and six-for-eight at the foul line. Moravian leads the country in free throws made and attempted entering the game (322-of-419) went to the line just 12 times, 16 below the season average of 28 attempts a game.
Senior center Alex Gregorek had a double-double to lead TCNJ with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and she added three blocked shots and two assists. Tait and Imhoff each had 15 points with Tait contributing four rebounds and three assists and Imhoff adding four rebounds and six steals. Washington tossed in seven points with four assists and three steals for the Lions while sophomore forward/center Candace Vigo had seven points and four boards. Junior guard Katie Occipinti had five rebounds, three assists and two points for TCNJ.
Heffner was the only Greyhounds in double figures with 12 points to go with four rebounds and two steals while Smith and sophomore guard Amanda Kreuder each tossed in eight points. Smith added six rebounds and a pair of steals while Kreuder had five assists for Moravian. Hrebik and freshman guard Katie O'Rourke each scored six points while Hann had five points and three rebounds. Blair finished the game with four points, four blocked shots and three boards.