BETHLEHEM, Pa. – It was a true and total team effort as the Moravian College women's basketball team defeated The United States Merchant Marine Academy 85-53 on Sunday afternoon in Landmark Conference action in Johnston Hall.
Every member of the Greyhounds saw minutes on Sunday, and 13 different players scored a bucket in Moravian's eighth consecutive victory. The Greyhounds (8-1) hit a season-high 11 three-pointers aimprove to 2-0 in conference play.
"We established our tempo right away," said head coach Mary Beth Spirk, who now sits just five wins away from 500 in her 27-year career at Moravian. "We didn't want a letdown after a couple of big wins. We talked about turnovers and protecting the ball before the game, and we did that well."
Moravian only turned the ball over eight times against the Mariners, who only scored five points off Moravian giveaways.
Four Hounds found themselves in double-digits to lead the barrage. Senior guard Danielle Brogan led all scorers with 14 on 5-for-11 shooting and two three pointers. Senior point guard Katie O'Rourke added 13 points and four assists, while freshmen Morgan Calabrese (3-for-5 three pointers) and Natalie Vanderlaan-Meyering each tossed in 11 points.
"Morgan and Natalie played really well," Spirk said. "These past two games have given them a ton of confidence, and we're going to need good, confident players to step in down the line this season. It's nice to see them have some success this week."
Vanderlaan-Meyering added three blocks and topped her previous career-high of eight points set in a 78-49 win over Centenary (N.J.) College on Tuesday.
The Greyhounds never trailed on Sunday and jumped out to a 25- 8 lead midway through the first half, led by the sharpshooting of Brogan and crisp passing from O'Rourke.
In the waning minutes of the first half, a contingent of Greyhounds reserves were chomping at the bit for a chance to help their team on the hardwood. Sophomore guard Emily MacDonnell (six points, 2-for-2 three-pointers) and Karine Polgar hit back-to-back three-pointers to push the lead to 43-18, and sophomore guard Marie Rossignoli connected on a jumper to send Moravian to the locker room up 45-20.
The Moravian women continued a dominant theme in the second half. Senior forward Ericka Blair helped shore up the defense, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. The Greyhounds kept the Mariners on their toes by consistently launching treys, which the squad ended up hitting at a 50 percent (11-of-22) clip by game's end.
Vanderlaan-Meyering closed out the contest with the final points on a three-point play to set the score at 85-53.
Merchant Marine boasted three players in double-digits in freshman guard Kelsey Hofmann (14 points, 12-for-12 free throws), junior guard Demi VanDerWal (13 points) and freshman forward Rachel Wehlburg (11 points).
Moravian won the battles down low, out-rebounding the Mariners 42-36 and holding a 32-16 advantage in points scored in the paint. The Greyhounds did not allow a single fast break point to be scored by USMMA.
The Greyhounds return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 17 with a trip to nationally-ranked Montclair State University, tabbed No. 3 in the latest D3hoops.com and WBCA Top 25 Polls. That game tips off at 6 p.m. from New Jersey.