Scranton Locks Up Top Seed For Conference Postseason

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The University of Scranton survived quite a scare from upset-minded Catholic University, 59-54, in the first game of a Landmark Conference road trip Saturday evening at the DuFour Center.

Senior forwards Michelle Fabio (Brick, N.J./St. Rose) and Kathleen Daly (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) led the way with 10 points apiece and senior guard Stephanie Remington (Catasauqua, Pa./Catasauqua) added nine points for Scranton, which won its 11th straight game to improve to 17-5 overall and 11-1 in the Landmark Conference. The win also guarantees the Lady Royals the number one seed and home-court advantage in the upcoming Landmark Conference tournament, which begins with semifinal games on Wednesday, February 28.

Catholic University, which fell to 9-14 overall and 4-8 in league play, was led by freshman guard/forward Brianna Peterson (Garnerville, N.Y./North Rockland) with a game-high 22 points, including 16 in the first-half as the Cardinals carved out a 35-34 lead by intermission.

The game, which featured six ties and 11 lead changes, remained close throughout the second-half. The Cardinals built up a six-point advantage with 12:20 remaining before Scranton fought back and tied it up three minutes later. Scranton finally took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by sophomore point-guard Ryan Mooney (Spring City, Pa./Pius X), who finished with seven points and seven rebounds, with 5:40 left, 50-48.

Scranton, however, almost let a four-point lead in the close minute slip away. Cardinal freshman guard Kerri Confrey (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) nailed a 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining to cut the Lady Royals' lead down to one, 55-54. With 24 seconds remaining, Scranton senior guard Julie Brophy (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) missed the front end of a one-on-one free throw and Fabio picked up her fifth personal foul trying to track down the rebound.

With an opportunity to tie or take the lead, Catholic sophomore forward Kate Robinson (Emmitsburg, Md./Catoctin) missed the first of two free throws, then committed a lane violation on the second attempt. Freshman guard Megan Kopecki (Millington, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional) then hit two free throws with 21 seconds left to make it a three-point game.

After Peterson missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with eight seconds left, Remington closed out the scoring with two free throws.

For the game, the Lady Royals shot only 29 percent from the field (18 of 62), including just 17.4 percent (4 of 23) from the 3-point arc, and were guilty of 17 turnovers. Scranton did, however, out-rebound the Cardinals by 17, 52-35. Catholic, which led by as many as nine points in the first-half, scored just 19 second-half points on 4 of 24 shooting from the field (16.7 percent).

The Lady Royals will close out the trip Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. against the Gophers of Goucher College at the Sports and Recreation Center in Baltimore, Maryland.