ARLINGTON, Va. – The No. 16 Marymount University women's basketball team opened the 2018 Pablo Coto Tip-Off Tournament on Friday night, defeating Elmira College, 65-47, at the Converse Family Fieldhouse.
The Soaring Eagles jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the first three and a half minutes of the first quarter and led for much of the frame, until senior Tyffani McQueen drained a three at the 3:20 mark to tie the score, 9-9.
The shot sparked an 11-2 run for the Saints to end the quarter. McQueen added two more shots in the spurt to lead the way to a 17-11 lead into the break.
Marymount led for the rest of the game, but the Soaring Eagles kept the game close through the remainder of the first half.
Elmira cut the lead to 23-20, but a free throw from junior Gabriella Haddad, followed by a layup by junior Regan Lohr and two more Haddad free throws, bumped Marymount's cushion back to eight.
Following a scoreless 3:33 to end the half, Marymount carried its 28-20 lead into the break.
The Saints pushed the lead to double-digits for the first time to start the third quarter on two Lohr free throws. Freshman Katie McShea followed with a layup to get the score to 32-20.
Elmira was able to get back to a single-digit deficit, 34-27, but Haddad's layup at the 5:50 mark of the third quarter regained a 10-point advantage, 37-27.
Layups from Haddad, McShea, and McQueen help the Saints enter the fourth quarter with a 48-32 advantage.
McQueen added a jumper in the opening minutes of the fourth to bump the lead to 52-32, and Marymount did not look back from there with full control of the game.
Haddad led the way for the Saints with 14 points, while Lohr and McQueen chipped in with 12 and 11, respectively. McQueen played an all-around impressive game, adding eight rebounds and six assists for the team lead in both; her rebound total tied a career high.
Defensively, Lohr led the way with a career-high seven steals.
The Saints will return to the court on Saturday, November 17 for day two of the Pablo Coto tournament, playing in the championship game against Vassar College; the opening tip is set for 7:30 p.m.