Moravian Serves As Rude Host To SUNY Plattsburgh

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Greyhounds won their sixth straight game and advanced to the championship game of the 7th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic with a 74-57 victory over SUNY Plattsburgh in a first round game in Johnston Hall.

Moravian, which will be playing for the tournament title for the fifth time in six years (there was no championship game the first year due to travel issues with the visiting schools) will face Albright College, a 97-61 winner over Delaware Valley College in the other first round game.

The Greyhounds are looking for their fourth tournament title. SUNY Plattsburgh jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first minute of the game and would lead 8-4 before Moravian tied the contest at 8-8 on a lay-up by sophomore guard Kate Harrison at the 14:50 mark. The Greyhounds would lead 10-8 before an 8-0 Cardinal run gave SUNY Plattsburgh a 16-10 lead remaining in the first half. The Cardinals held a seven-point advantage, 21-14, with 6:36 to play before a run by the Greyhounds put Moravian in the lead for good. Senior guard LaToya Blake helped fuel a 14-4 run with a three-pointer and a pair of free throws to give the Greyhounds a 26-25 lead. Moravian went to the locker room with a 32-27 advantage after another Blake jumper with 31 seconds remaining in the first half.

Neither team shot the ball well in the first half with the Greyhounds connecting on 12 of 32 field goal attempts (37.5 percent), two of three three-pointers and six of seven free throws. The Cardinals were just 13 of 40 in the first half and one of two at the foul line. SUNY Plattsburgh missed all ten of its three-pointers in the first half but did have a 29-19 advantage on the boards. Moravian forced the Cardinals into 11 first half turnovers while committing just eight miscues.

Sophomore guard Jessica Foran started the second half with a jumper and a three-pointer in the first 46 seconds to give the Greyhounds their first double digit lead of the night, 37-27. The closest SUNY Plattsburgh would get in the second half was seven points at 49-42 with 10:21 to play while Moravian led by as many as 18 points twice, the final time at 64:46 with 4:56 left in the contest.

The Greyhounds shot the ball better in the second half, making 15 of 37 field goal attempts (40.5 percent), two of five three-pointers and ten of 12 free throws. SUNY Plattsburgh also shot better in the final 20 minutes of the game, connecting on 13 of 31 field goal attempts and four of seven three-pointers. The Cardinals missed all three of their three-pointers in the second half but did have a 48-43 edge in rebounds for the game. It is the fifth time in the Greyhounds' seven wins this season that they have been out-rebounded. Moravian committed just 14 turnovers for the game while forcing SUNY Plattsburgh into 22 turnovers.

The Greyhounds had a balanced scoring attack with three players in double figures led by Harrison's 16 points, which tied her career high. Harrison also had six rebounds and tied her career high with four assists. Foran tossed in 12 points to go with four rebounds while freshman guard/forward Emily Smith had ten points in the victory. Blake, sophomore forward Kirsty Stearns and sophomore guard Amanda Brown all scored seven points with Stearns grabbing six rebounds and blocking two shots. Brown added four assists while Blake had four assists, four steals and three rebounds for the Greyhounds.

Sophomore forward Lauren Fornazor had grabbed a career high seven boards for Moravian to go with five points while sophomore forward Alyssa Bisci, the Greyhounds' leading scorer entering the game, had six points, three rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Amie Ballo pulled down five rebounds while freshman guard Jennie Miller tossed in four points in the Moravian win.

Junior guard Vanessa Arthurton led SUNY Plattsburgh with a game high 22 points, and she added eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Casey Clark grabbed a game high 15 rebounds for the Cardinals, ten of them in the first half, and Clark had nine points and six blocked shots. Freshman guard Katie Simpson and sophomore forward Molly Harte each had eight points for SUNY Plattsburgh.