ARLINGTON, Va.— Sophomores Leah Hurst and Nicole Viscuso led a fast-paced Marymount (Va.) University women's basketball squad to a scorching home victory on Wednesday night over Penn State University-Harrisburg, 77-41, to move their win streak to nine and remain untouched in Capital Athletic Conference play with a 7-0 record.
The Saints (12-2, 7-0 CAC) took an early lead in the first quarter after back-to-back layups from sophomore Hurst and junior Kiki Laux. A free throw from senior Miranda Krott gave Marymount a 5-0 lead, which it managed to maintain throughout the rest of the game. The game continued at a fast pace throughout the first quarter after Marymount, who is currently ranked sixth in the nation in scoring defense, forced two shot clock violations and came up with three steals. The Saints would finish the quarter on top, 16-13.
The Saints opened up the next 10 minutes with a layup from Krott and would continue to build to momentum through a 12-0 run. Seven different Saints contributed points in the second quarter with sophomore Viscuso leading the way with eight, followed by Hurst with five. Overall, MU outscored PSU, 21-7, in the second quarter.
The Saints were also sound on the defensive end, keeping the Lions scoreless in the second quarter until the 3:55 mark while racking up three more steals. Viscuso dropped another in right before the break to send MU into the locker room with a comfortable 17-point advantage, 37-20.
As the second half got underway, the Saints stayed hot right out the gates with seven-straight points. MU went 5-for-5 at the charity stripe in the run to go along with another Viscuso bucket. Hurst, who finished the quarter with eight points, three steals, and two assists, paced the Saints charge that continued to expand their lead to 65-34 following a basket from senior Aileen Maknati.
Viscuso found the rim after a dish by Hurst to maintain a 30-point lead to start off the fourth quarter, which continued to grow until the final whistle.
A game-high 17 points by Hurst and Viscuso led Marymount's offense. The duo both posted a double-double, Hurst's first in her career and Viscuso's seventh of the season. Hurst finished with 17 points after going 7-10 from the field while dishing out a career-high 10 assists, while Viscuso finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The women will look to keep their streak alive on Saturday, January 16, as they play host to the University of Mary Washington for a strong defensive matchup in the conference. The Eagles are currently ranked third in the country in scoring defense, while the Saints are ranked sixth. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., in the Verizon Sports Arena.