Lady Royals Wrap Up Regular Season By Routing Goucher On Senior Day

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The University of Scranton women's basketball team tuned up for the upcoming Landmark Conference playoffs by rolling to a 92-48 victory over Goucher on Saturday afternoon on Senior Day in the Long Center.

Four players scored in double figures and 10 players scored at least five points as the Lady Royals (22-3, 13-1 Landmark) won their seventh straight game and 20th out of the last 21. Junior forward Meredith Mesaris (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds, her fourth double-double of the season.

Freshman forward Alexix Roman (Hawley, Pa./Wallenpaupack) added 12 points, and senior guard Alison Sweeney (Wall, N.J./St. Rose) and freshman forward Sarah Payonk (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford) had 10 points each. Payonk also had eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

Scranton scored the first 18 points of the game and led by 28 at halftime, 45-17. The Lady Royals shot 58.1 percent (18-for-31) in the first half, and had 16 assists on those 18 made baskets. The second half wasn't much different as the Lady Royals made 18 of 33 field goal attempts (54.5 percent), including 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) from 3-point range.

Scranton also received nine points and two assists from senior guard Katie Cunningham (Garden City, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial), who was playing in her first game since her freshman year in 2010-11. She suffered knee injury prior to her sophomore season and had not played since.

Senior forward Katie Sherry (Havertown, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) had eight points, five rebounds and two steals, junior guard Lia DiSciascio (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) had six points, three rebounds and two assists, and freshman forward Denise Rizzo (Paramus, N.J./Holy Angels) had six points, three rebounds and an assist.

Sophomore guard Noelle Alicea (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) and freshman guard Lexi McGivern (Bethlehem, Pa./Notre Dame) had five points each in the win.

Goucher (6-18, 2-12 Landmark) received 21 points and seven rebounds from senior guard Sharnell Huff (Bowie, Md./Bowie).

Prior to tip-off, the Lady Royals honored Sweeney, Cunningham and Sherry, who were playing their final regular season home game in the Long Center. And Sweeney was presented with the Dr. Harold Davis Award, which is annually presented to the team's most valuable senior.

The Lady Royals will host Juniata in a Landmark Conference semifinal on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the Long Center. Juniata (14-11, 7-7 Landmark) earned the fourth seed by beating Drew, 51-48, on the road on Saturday. Second-seeded Catholic (19-5, 12-2) will host third-seeded Moravian (19-6, 10-4) in the other semifinal at 7 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

--LADY ROYALS--