GRANTHAM, PA --- It was a successful start to the season for the EMU basketball women as they rolled to a 90-56 win over Kean at the Messiah Tip-Off Tournament in Grantham, PA.  The Royals will now take on host Messiah on Saturday.  The Falcons are ranked No. 13 in the D3hoops.com national preseason poll.

Eastern Mennonite scored the first five points against Kean and exploded to a 16-2 lead just 6:48 into the game.  The cushion ballooned to over 20 points five minutes later.  Steph Rheinheimer (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) hit back-to-back three pointers and sister Jess Rheinheimer (Manheim, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) hit one of her own to make the score 31-10.

The Royals led 51-25 at halftime and were never threatened in the second half.

The women shot a blazing 47% from the floor, including 7-14 from three-point range.  They held the Cougars to just 31% shooting.

Steph Rheinheimer led four players in double figures with 15 points along with a game high six assists.  Alisa Brown (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park) added 14, as did Jess Rheinheimer in her collegiate debut.  Shakeerah Sykes (Dumfries, VA/Forest Park) had 10 counters.

Bianca Ygarza (Conestoga, PA/Penn Manor) made her presence felt on the boards, leading all players with 11 rebounds.  Point guard Keyla Baltimore (Bristow, VA/Brentsville District) had eight rebounds and four assists.  Kala Yoders (Myerstown, PA/Eastern Lebanon County) and Shannan Thompson (Glen Allen, VA/Hermitage) each had seven boards, as EMU controlled the category by a 57-45 margin.

Now 1-0, the Royals take on the host Falcons Saturday at 4:00.  Messiah beat Methodist by a final of 66-39.