Turnovers Sink Lady Warriors in First Conference Game

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Lycoming women's basketball couldn't shake a tough Royals' defense as the Lady Warriors fell to the University of Scranton 75-47 in the squads' opening games of Freedom Conference play on Wednesday evening.  Lycoming falls to 1-4, 0-1 on the season while Scranton improves to 4-1, 1-0.

The Warriors committed a season-high 30 turnovers that accounted for 28 Royal points.  Sixteen of those turnovers occurred in the first half and helped Scranton build a 38-21 lead by the intermission.

Freshman Andrea Cooper (Holidaysburg, Pa./Holidaysburg) led the Warriors with 15 points on just 4-of-11 shooting from the field.  She did convert 5-of-7 free throw opportunities, and her game-opening three-point basket helped the Warriors to an early advantage.  Cooper also ripped down a game-high nine rebounds.  Fellow first year player Marissa Hastings (Old Forge, Pa./Old Forge) was the only other Warrior in double figures with 10 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the charity stripe.

Scranton used a regular 12-player rotation throughout the contest that allowed it to continually press the Warriors with a tough pressure defense and wear them down with a quick-passing offensive attack.  Eleven different Royals played more than 10 minutes.  Guard Allison Matt led the team with 13 points while wing player Taryn Mellody chipped in 12 tallies.

Lycoming shot well from both three-point territory (4-for-9) and the free throw line (19-of-23), but the Warriors' 25.5 percent (12-for-47) overall shooting performance prevented Lycoming from making a charge at Scranton's lead.

The Warriors look to snap their current three-game skid this Saturday, December 3, as FDU-Florham visits Williamsport for a Freedom Conference showdown.  Game time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in Lamade Gymnasium.