Millersville, Pa. - After a rough second quarter that saw the Millersville University women's basketball team enter halftime down 32-28, it rebounded in the third quarter thanks to 11 points from
Lauren Lister and the Marauders never looked back, winning by the eventual score of 71-61 on Wednesday night at
Pucillo Gymnasium. It's the first win of the season for Millersville.
"It feels so good to get our first win of the season, and to do it at home is even better," head coach
Mary Fleig said.
The two teams began the match neck-in-neck, as it was tied 10-10 halfway through the first quarter. The Marauders finished the period on an 8-5 run to enter the second quarter with a three-point lead.
After a steal and fast break in the paint by Lister gave Millersville a 20-17 lead, the Griffins went on a 7-0 run to go ahead. The Marauders turned the ball over six times in the quarter and were outscored 17-10, entering halftime down by four.
"We missed a lot of open shots in the first half, especially in the second quarter," Fleig said. "But we kept our composure and made some adjustments at halftime. The younger players showed a lot of growth in making those adjustments."
Chestnut Hill increased its' lead to 41-32 just over four minutes into the period. Millersville turned the tables and went on an 11-0 run, highlighted by nine-straight points from Lister, to retake the lead. The two team exchanged blows until
Chandera Jones-Aryeh's layup off her own rebound gave the Marauders a 47-45 lead.
Olivia Mottern sank a 3-pointer and Lister notched another successful layup in the final 30 seconds to give Millersville some breathing room. The Marauders turned 12 Griffins turnovers into 14 points in the quarter.
A 3-pointer from
Erika Reed gave Millersville a 14-point lead, its largest of the night, halfway through the final period. An 11-2 run by Chestnut Hill pulled it to within four in the final minute of the game.The Marauder defense held strong, only allowing two successful free throws, to seal their first win.
Lister was the leading scorer for the second-consecutive game and, after setting a new career high with five assists in her last game, totaled six assists and shot 50 percent from the field. She also notched four steals in the win.
Kendra Bamberger and
Courtney Dimoff each scored 12 points, with Bamberger grabbing a team-high 12 rebounds. Jones-Aryeh registered six rebounds and six points and came up clutch in the final minute of the third quarter. The Griffins had the ball and only trailed by two when she recorded a steal and on the same possession grabbed an offensive rebound before Mottern's 3-pointer.
"
Chandera Jones-Aryeh looked really good tonight," Fleig said. "I was bummed she fouled out in the fourth quarter. I should have gave her some more time on the bench after her fourth foul, but I put her back in because we needed ball handlers when they were putting pressure on us those last few minutes."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• After only grabbing nine offensive rebounds and turning over the ball nearly 30 times in each of its first two games, Millersville notched 16 offensive rebounds and turned the ball over just 16 times.
• Chestnut Hill had a better shot percentage (39.7) than the Marauders (34.3).
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Erika Reed made both of her 3-point attempts for six points in just eight minutes off the bench.
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Kennedy Middleton was second on the team with three steals off the bench.
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Shelby Funchess made her collegiate debut and grabbed one rebound.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
• "Our upperclassmen really stepped up tonight.
Lauren Lister did a great job handling the ball, setting up the offense, getting to the line and on defense. She really led the way in the third quarter.
Kendra Bamberger also did a great job, she went that whole second half without fouling out and was a presence inside."
NOTES
• Millersville is now 3-0 all-time against Chestnut Hill.
• This was the first match between these two teams since 2009.
UP NEXT
• The Marauders will continue their five-game home stand when they host Goldey-Beacom on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. in Pucillo Gymnasium.
FOLLOW THE MARAUDERS
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