Fourth Quarter Surge Lifts Marywood Over Wilkes Women's Basketball
WILKES-BARRE – Marywood University scored 23 points in the fourth quarter to help the Pacers pass the Wilkes University women's basketball team 68-60 on the first day of the Cross County Challenge at the Marts Center in Saturday afternoon non-conference action.
Wilkes drops to 1-2 on the year while Marywood improves to 3-1 this season.
The game began with both teams being even in the first quarter, as Wilkes and Marywood would trade the lead early on, with Julia Marino (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) and Erin Shober (Reading, PA/Wilson) both scored early in the quarter. The game would still be tied, until Shober scored at the 3:09 mark left in the first, as she racked her tenth point of the game, to give Wilkes a 16-14 lead. The Pacers would get some fouls late in the first period, capitalizing on three of their four three-throw attempts to go into the second quarter with a 19-16 lead.
The Colonels would retake the lead as Yamirelis Matos (Springfield, MA/Chicopee) would hit a jumper and add a free throw before Savannah Purdy would hit a layup to make the game even at 21-21. Victoria Crooker (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) would hit two back-to-back three-pointers to push Wilkes' lead with 4:41 left in the half. Wilkes would keep this push throughout the second and third quarter, as they outscored the Pacers 36-26 in the second and third period.
Marywood would get within two 1:34 in the third, as Stephanie Klemick would hit two free throws to make it 34-32. Wilkes would outscore Marywood 13-6, as Matos, Marino, and Brenna Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) would hit their shots while Brianna Horton (Verona, NJ/Verona) would make hers beyond the arc, giving the Colonels their biggest lead of the afternoon. Wilkes would head into the fourth quarter with a 52-47 lead.
Marywood would begin to hit on all cylinders, as they would shoot 64.3% from the field, while Wilkes would only make two of their 13 shots on the court during that time. Marywood would score the first seven points, capping off with a fast break layup from Purdy to take a 54-52 lead with just under four minutes into the last period.
Babcock would make two free throws, and Matos would make a layup with 2:45 left in the quarter, but the Pacers would make their shots around the court. Marywood would also keep the pressure on the free throw line, as they made all five of their free throws, while Wilkes converted on all four of theirs in the quarter. Marywood would keep the pressure and not let up, eventually downing the Colonels and taking a victory over Wilkes in the second matchup of today's Cross County Challenge.
Marywood would shoot 43.9% on field goals, while Wilkes was 36.5% on the field. The Pacers would get opportunities back, as they got 15 second chance points on the day.
Shober finished the day with 12 points, while Marino and Matos tied with 11 on the day. Crooker had 10 points, going 2-5 from beyond the arc. Matos, Marino, Horton, and Babcock all tied with a team-leading five rebounds. Matos also had four assists on the day, while Marino had four steals.
Wilkes will continue to compete in the Cross County Challenge as they face No.10 University of Scranton on Sunday, November 19 at 3:00 pm in the Marts Center. The Royals won their first matchup against King's College, earning a 80-42 victory over the Monarchs.
