Raleigh, N.C. – The St. Mary's College of Maryland women's basketball team cruised to a 73-48 non-conference road victory at Meredith College Tuesday night, spoiling the home- and season-opener for the Avenging Angels.  The St. Mary's Seahawks improve to 3-0 on the season with tonight's victory as senior Joanna Murray (Reisterstown, Md./Franklin) and junior Sophie Pruden (Carrboro, N.C./Chapel Hill) notched double-digit scoring games to pace the team.

Murray tallied her third straight double-figure scoring effort with a game-high 13 points and matched her season-high with three rebounds while Pruden added 10 points, six rebounds and season-best two blocks.

The turning point of the game for the Seahawks came at the 11:35-minute mark of the first half when Pruden sparked a 21-8 run that erased a four-point deficit and returned the lead to St. Mary's for good, sending the Seahawks into halftime with a 31-20 advantage.

St. Mary's shot 41.4% from the field in the first half while the defense stifled Meredith's offense to just five made field goals for 21.7%.  Eleven of Murray's 13 points came in the first half while Pruden was a perfect 4-of-4 in the first 20 minutes.

The Seahawks shot five percent better in the second half, including going 3-of-4 from downtown, to finish the game with a .439 field goal percentage.  Sophomore guard Sarit Truskey (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) collected a pair of throws at 5:23 for St. Mary's biggest lead of the game – a 68-42 advantage.

Fellow classmate Matti Vagnoni (Chevy Chase, Md./Stone Ridge School) maintained the team's 26-point lead with her second triple of the night at 1:28.  Vagnoni ended the night with career-highs of six points and five steals.

After being outrebounded in the first half, St. Mary's turned the tables on the Avenging Angels with a +12.0 rebounding margin in the final 20 minutes as five Seahawks pulled down five boards each.  The visitors ended the game with a 42-37 rebounding advantage.

Junior Tyler Gresham (Charlotte, N.C.) finished the day as Meredith's leading scorer with 10 points while junior Rah'nika Jones (Miami, Fla.) grabbed a game-best 10 caroms.

St. Mary's will enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to the court on Thursday, November 29 when the Seahawks welcome Randolph-Macon College (0-3) for non-conference action at 7:00 pm.

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