FEBRUARY 20, 2016
KING'S WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ENDS SEASON WITH DOMINATING 88-59 VICTORY AT WILKES
WILKES-BARRE, PA --- Senior Tara Zdancewicz scored a career-high 21 points in her final colligate game to lead the King's College women's basketball team to a dominating 88-59 victory over Wilkes University on Saturday afternoon at the Marts Center in the season finale for both teams. The 88 points are a season high for the Lady Monarchs.
King's ends the season with a 12-13 overall record and 5-9 record in conference play while Wilkes finished 4-21 overall with a 1-13 conference mark.
The game was tied at 10 after the first five minutes of play before King's went on a 14-7 run to end the quarter. Jennifer Fabian began the run with a layup and then knocked down a three to give the Lady Monarchs a five point lead. Wilkes responded with a three of their own, Kayla Feairheller scored on a layup, and then Wilkes got a bucket and then two free throws to tie the game at 17 with 1:40 left in the quarter. Zdancewicz scored twice for King's with a three-pointer by Cayle Spencer in between to close out the quarter.
King's continued their run to begin the second quarter as Alexis Steeber and Zdancewicz each scored on layups to extend the Lady Monarch lead to 11 points. After Wilkes made one of two free throws Zdancewicz knocked down a three to give King's a 31-18 lead. Wilkes was able to get the lead down to seven points three times over the next seven minutes but each time King's responded to keep the lead in double digits. King's ended the half on a 8-0 run in the last 1:37 to take a 49-34 lead. The Lady Monarchs got a bucket from Maggie Michael, a free throw from Michael, two free throws from Mia Barbieri, and a three-pointer from Spencer to end the half. The 49 first half points are the most King's has scored in a half this season.
Olivia Hoffman began the second half with two layups to extend the lead to 19 points with 7:34 left in the third quarter. Zdancewicz knocked down a jumper while being fouled and then the free throw to give King's a 56-36 lead. After two Wilkes free throws Fabian scored on back-to-back layups and then Zdancewicz knocked down a jumper to give King's a commanding 62-38 lead with 4:40 left. After another two free throws by Wilkes Fabian knocked down a three and then hit two free throws to give King's a 27 point lead with 1:43 left. Wilkes got their first made field goal of the second half when Jamie Campbell hit a three. That would be the only made field goal Wilkes scored in the third quarter. Spencer knocked down another three, Zdancewicz connected on one of two free throws, and Sara Krupinski knocked down two free throws to give King's a 73-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Wilkes scored the first three points of the final quarter before Feairheller hit four consecutive foul shots to give the Lady Monarchs a 77-47 lead with 8:19 left. After two made free throws by the Colonels Fabian knocked down two free throws followed by two made free throws by Krupinski to give King's their largest lead of the game 81-49 with 6:43 left. The Colonels were able to cut the lead to 24 points but would come no further the rest of the way as King's responded with the last five points of the game to take the victory.
Tara Zdancewicz led all scorers with a career-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Jennifer Fabian had 18 points and eight rebounds playing her final collegiate game. Fellow senior Sara Krupinski scored four points, had five rebounds, dished out three assists, and blocked one shot. Kayla Feairheller scored 14 points while Olivia Hoffman nearly missed a double-double with 10 points, eight rebounds to go with four blocks. Cayle Spencer added nine points by knocking down three three-pointers.
King's shot 37.2 (29-78) percent from the floor, and 80.0 (24-30) percent from the free throw line. The Lady Monarchs grabbed a season-high 63 rebounds and outrebounded the Colonels 63-40. King's also forced 17 turnovers and blocked seven shots.
Hoffman finishes the season with a school-record 96 blocks and as a team the Lady Monarchs recorded a school-record 165 on the season.
The Colonels were led by Emily Sofranko with 11 points and Jamie Campbell with nine. Wilkes shot 28.8 (19-66) percent from the field and 70.0 (14-20) percent from the line.