Royals Earn Sixth-Straight Win To Stay Atop Standings

MADISON, N.J. - Freshman guard Megan Kopecki (Millington, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional) connected on 8 of 11 field goal attempts to finish with a game-high 20 points to lead The University of Scranton to a 68-45 victory over Drew University in the second game of a Landmark Conference road trip Sunday afternoon at Baldwin Gymnasium.

Kopecki, who has scored in double-figures in each of her last six games, scored 13 first-half points on 5 of 7 shooting from the field as the Lady Royals bolted out to a 33-14 halftime lead.  Scranton, which extended its season-long winning streak to six and improved to 12-5 overall and 6-1 in the conference, also received 8 points and 6 rebounds from freshman forward Courtney Roselle (Cedar Grove, N.J./Mount St. Dominic), 7 points and 5 rebounds from senior guard Julie Brophy (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East), and 6 points and a game-high 11 rebounds from junior forward Kelly Tratthen (Olyphant, Pa./Lakeland).

The loss was the sixth straight for the Rangers, now 4-13 overall and 2-5 in the Landmark Conference.  Drew, which shot only 25 percent from the field in the first-half (5 of 20) and committed 21 turnovers for the game, was led by junior forward Laura Methvin (Newark, Del./Charter School) with 18 points and seven rebounds.

For the second straight game, the Lady Royals led from start to finish.  Sophomore guard Ryan Mooney (Spring City, Pa./Pius X) opened the game with a 3-pointer, Roselle followed with a pair of lay-ups, senior guard Stephanie Remington (Catasauqua, Pa./Catasauqua) added another lay-up, and Kopecki drained a jump shot as Scranton built up an 11-0 margin.  Drew did manage to close to within eight points twice, but the Lady Royals closed out the half on 15-4 spurt to extend its lead to 19 by intermission. 

After the Rangers cut Scranton's halftime lead to 14 on a lay-up by Methvin and a 3-pointer by senior guard Allison Hartnett (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry)m early in the second-half, the Lady Royals answered with a 16-2 run to extends its lead to 28, 49-21, with 14 minutes remaining.  Scranton's lead never dipped below 23 points the rest of the way.

The Lady Royals also did a good job of protecting the basketball, committing only one turnover in the first-half and finishing with a season-low six for the game. 

Defensively, Scranton has now held six of its last seven opponents to less than 60 points.   The Lady Royals also took over first-place in the Landmark Conference by a game over Moravian College, which entered play Sunday tied with Scranton.  The Greyhounds, however, fell to 5-2 in league play by dropping a 58-57 decision to the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.

Scranton will host the Eagles of Juniata College in the first of a two-game Landmark Conference home stand next Friday, February 1, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Long Center.