Frosh Comes Off The Bench To Spark Scranton

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Freshman Megan Kopecki (Millington, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional) continues to play like a seasoned veteran for The University of Scranton.

She came off the bench and connected on 6 of 7 field goal attempts to finish with a career-high 21 points and senior guard Stephanie Remington (Catasauqua, Pa./Catasauqua) added 15 as the Lady Royals held on to improve to 8-5 overall and 2-1 in the Landmark Conference.  Junior forward Kelly Ashcraft (Bellefonte, Pa./State College Area) led the Eagles, now 8-6 overall and 1-2 in league play, with 20 points and freshman forward Jen Hnatuck (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) added 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Lady Royals led by seven at intermission and by 10 early in the second-half, before the Eagles fought back and eventually tied the game at 60-60 with seven seconds remaining on a lay-up by Ashcraft.  On the final possession in regulation, Scranton sophomore guard Ryan Mooney (Spring City, Pa./Pius X), who finished with five points and six assists, missed a 3-pointer.

In the overtime period, senior forwards Marisa Healy (Columbus, N.J./Saint Basil Academy-Pa.) and Kathleen Daly (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) scored three points apiece as the Lady Royals took the lead for good, 67-62.  Juniata made it a one possession game with 16 seconds remaining before Kopecki drilled a pair of free throws to set the final score. 

Kopecki has now scored in double-figures in four of her last five games to raise her scoring average to 10.2 points per game.  Her 21-point effort eclipsed her previous-high of 16 against Messiah on November and 16 against Baruch in the championship game of the Diversified Invitational at the Long Center on December 9.

The Lady Royals will host Goucher College in the first of a two-game Landmark Conference home stand next Friday, January 18, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Long Center.