Millersville University
Chestnut Hill
Marauders Ride Moyer's Hot Hand to Fifth Straight Victory
12/5/2008 8:48:42 PM | Women's Basketball
West Chester, Pa. - Junior guard Ashley Moyer has been one of Millersville's top scoring threats in every game so far this season, and tonight was no different as she connected on four 3-point field goals to lead the women's basketball team past Chestnut Hill, 74-46, in the 23rd annual West Chester Alumni Tournament held at Hollinger Field House on the campus of West Chester University.
Millersville (5-0) pushed its regular season winning streak to 18 games and boasts a 5-0 record for the second consecutive season. The Marauders forced the Griffins (1-4) into 31 turnovers, marking the fourth time this season the ladies have caused at least 28 turnovers in a game.
Millersville started slow for the first time this season, turning the ball over four times and missing its first three shots in the first seven possessions of the game. After falling behind early by as many as five points, the Marauders stormed back with a 15-3 run that ended just prior to the midpoint of the first half. A jumper by guard Dominique Stroman cut the Griffin lead in half (6-3) at the 15:36 mark and after an offensive board by freshman Gabrielle Styles on the Marauders' next possession, Moyer connected on her first 3-point field goal of the evening to knot the score at six apiece. Two free throws by Aiesha Bellamy briefly gave Millersville its first lead of the game as Chestnut Hill's Jenna Beck knotted the game again at eight with a basket on the other end. Beck was one of three Griffins in double-figures as she finished with 12 points, all of which came in the first half.
Millersville forward Emily Balogh gave the Marauders the lead they would never relinquish as she connected on back-to-back jumpers to give the Marauders a 12-8 lead. Bellamy assisted on both shots and finished the evening with three helpers. In all, the Marauders assisted on 22 of their 30 made field goals in the contest.
The Marauders continued to extend their lead which ballooned to as many as 15 before halftime.
CHC opened the second half with back-to-back field goals to cut the Marauder lead to 11, but that would be as close as they would get. Millersville used a 19-6 run over the next 6:39 to put the game out of reach.
Moyer, who in the Marauders' season-opening tournament at Millersville led the team in scoring with a two-day total of 34 points, connected on 6-of-12 shots from the field and was 4-of-9 from long range. The junior came into tonight's contest averaging 11.3 points per game, good enough for second on the team.
In the end, Millersville's size down low and contribution from the bench proved to be too much for Chestnut Hill. Millersville starting forwards Gladine St. Julien and Jenna Craig combined for 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field. Craig finished one rebound shy of a double-double as she collected a team-high nine rebounds. Balogh and Stroman did most of the damage for the Marauders off the bench as Balogh chipped in with nine points while Stroman scored seven on 3-of-4 shooting.
Despite hitting 14-of-15 free throws and and shooting over 40% in the first half, CHC was plaqued by turnovers and a cold night from long range (0-8).
Millersville is back in action again tomorrow as they take on the Lincoln Lions, a division II Independent, on the second day of the West Chester Tournament. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.
