WORCESTER, Mass. - Junior Makenzie Mason (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) scored a team-best 18 points to lead four double-digit scorers, as The University of Scranton women's basketball team opened a 20-3 lead at the end of the first quarter on UMass-Boston, and never looked back in a dominating 71-40 win on Monday in the championship game of the 2018 WPI Holiday Tournament.
With the win, Scranton (who is ranked sixth in the D3Hoops.com Top 25 Poll) ends their non-conference schedule for the 2018-19 season with a 12-0 mark, as the Lady Royals have won 44 straight non-conference regular season games, a streak that will extend into next season.
UMass-Boston fell to 9-2 on the year with the defeat.
In the opening frame, Scranton essentially put UMass Boston away for the afternoon with a scoring barrage that saw the Lady Royals not allow a basket until the 5-minute mark while already holding an 11-1 lead.
After allowing the basket that made it an 11-3 game, Scranton did not allow a point the rest of the quarter, finishing on an impressive 9-0 spurt to take an insurmountable 20-3 lead after the opening frame.
From there, the domination continued for the Lady Royals, as they extended their lead out to 27-8 with five minutes to go in the first half. Scranton went on to take a 20-point lead (33-13), eventually going up 35-13 into intermission.
The 22-point deficit proved to too much for UMass-Boston to come back from, as Scranton extended the lead out to 30-points with five minutes to go in the third quarter (47-17). Up 65-21 entering the fourth, the final period was academic for the Lady Royals, as they collected another win by double-figures, their 11th of the season to date.
Overall, Mason led the way on the offensive end in the win, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds, while also dishing out three assists. Mason ended the night shooting 7-of-9 from the floor, as well.
Mason led what turned out to be a balanced scoring night for the Lady Royals. Elsewhere, junior Sofia Recupero (Whitestone, N.Y./Saint Francis Prep) finished the game with 17 points, while also shooting 7-of-9 from the floor, as well. Recupero, who also pulled down five rebounds and dished out five assists in the win, was named to the All-WPI Holiday Tournament team for her efforts.
Meanwhile, freshman Hannah Kowalski (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights) came off the bench and added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor. Rounding out the double-digit scorers for the Lady Royals was senior Bridgette Mann (Canadensis, Pa,/Wallenpaupack), who finished off a banner two-game stretch with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. For her efforts, Mann was named the WPI Holiday Tournament MVP, as well.
The University of Scranton women's basketball team returns to action on Saturday, as they dive back into Landmark Conference play with a road contest at Elizabethtown. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
--LADY ROYALS--