Millersville, Pa. -- Four Marauders scored in double figures as Millersville set a new season high plus-32 scoring margin against PSAC East rival Cheyney. The Marauders defeated the Wolves 87-55 and now take a two game winning streak into the new year.
Millersville and Cheyney played a close game in the first quarter as Cheyney elected to play a taller lineup which forced Millersville to make longer range shots. However, Millersville's play in the second quarter proved to be the deciding factor in the contest. Following a tying basket from Cheyney with 1:12 remaining in the first quarter to make the score 16-16, Millersville's offense shifted into a higher gear and put together a 37-13 run to close out the first half.
During that run, redshirt junior
Janelle Robinson and freshman
Lauren Lister each scored 10 points while sophomore
Courtney Dimoff finished the half with an exclamation point after hitting a last second three pointer. Lister, Dimoff and Robinson all scored 10 points during the first half on a combined 13-17 shooting. Senior
Alayah Hall scored 13 points of her own while also stealing the ball five times in the first half. Millersville's tenacity on the defensive end was another major factor in Millersville's 26 point halftime lead as the Marauders scored 18 points off Cheyney turnovers as well as 10 fast break points.
Later in the third quarter, with a 33-point lead in hand, Head Coach
Mary Fleig substituted in a line up consisting of freshmen to get them valuable extended experience on the court.
Olivia Mottern,
Jillian Novak, and
Briana Perry all played their most significant minutes of the season. Coach Fleig's line up fluidity yielded 32 bench points to Cheyney's 19.
The Marauders lead the Wolves in virtually every statistical category despite having less possessions than the Wolves. Most importantly, the Marauders won the rebound battle 42-36, the turnover battle 13-21, and points off turnovers battle 28-14. Millersville shot the ball 12.8 percent better from the field as well. In the Marauders' two game winning streak, they have shot better than 47 percent in those contests.
Millersville improved to 5-5 and 2-4 in the PSAC. The Marauders return to Pucillo Gymnasium to face PSAC East rival West Chester on January 3 at 5:30 p.m. Millersville tentatively sits in fourth place in the PSAC East while West Chester currently ranks second in the division with a 3-3 record.
