Clarion, Pa. - The Millersville University women's basketball team shot 50 percent (9-for-18) from beyond the arch and earned its first road and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) win of the season at Clarion, winning by a score of 66-54.
Courtney Dimoff went 4-for-7 on 3-point attempts and scored a career-high 19 points, while
Olivia Mottern set a new career high by sinking four 3-pointers.
"We were really excited to get both our first road and conference win," head coach
Mary Fleig said. "We saw a lot of growth in this game. There was one quarter where we struggled, but other than that we played three good quarters today. Courtney and Olivia both did a great job shooting threes."
The Marauders improve to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in conference play, while the Golden Eagles fall to 7-4 overall and 1-3 in PSAC play.
The two teams exchanged the lead five times in the opening minutes, but Millersville finished the quarter on a 12-0 run and took a commanding 20-6 lead into the second period.
"Our last game against Seton Hill we didn't do well to begin the first or third quarter," Fleig said. "Our main goal today was to have a better start to each half, and I thought we did just that."
Clarion began the second quarter on a 9-1 run to pull within six points, but the Marauder defense was able to halt a comeback by the Golden Eagles and went into halftime with the lead still intact at 28-23.
Clarion managed to tie the game at 33-all halfway through the third period after a successful free throw by Kadijah Dickson, one of only five free throws the Golden Eagles made in the contest. After four lead changes the score stood at 38-38, but Millersville finished the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 46-38 lead into the final period.
Clarion began the quarter on a quick 6-0 run to cut its deficit to two points, but the Marauders would not let it get any closer and outscored the Golden Eagles 20-10 the rest of the game to capture the victory.
Lauren Lister played the full 40 minutes and led the team in scoring for the fifth-consecutive game with 22 points. She also tallied a team-high three steals and grabbed six rebounds.
"Lauren had an all around great performance," Fleig said.
While Millersville thrived from beyond the arch, the Golden Eagles struggled, making just one their 10 3-point attempts.
"They have some shooters that can shoot the ball really well and I thought we did a really good job on defense," Fleig said. "
Chandera Jones-Aryeh did a good job at the top of our defense. She contained the ball well and helped get our offense going."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Clarion entered the game with the third-best defense in the PSAC, having allowed just 54.8 points per game and holding its opponents to a 37.7 shot percentage, fourth lowest in the conference. The Marauders shot 46 percent from the floor.
• The Golden Eagles went just 5-for-15 from the charity strip, with Kadijah Dickson accounting for all five free throws.
• Clarion attempted to make up for its' poor 3-point shooting in the paint, outscoring Millersville 38-16 from close range.
NOTES
• The Marauders have now won six of their last seven matchups against the Golden Eagles, with every win being by double-digits, and now lead the all-time series, 13-8.
• The 54 points allowed by Millersville is a season low.
UP NEXT
• The Marauders will look to make it two-straight PSAC road wins when they travel to Pitt-Johnstown tomorrow for a 5:30 p.m. match.
FOLLOW THE MARAUDERS
•
Be the first to know what's going on with the Marauders -- Follow @VilleMarauders on Twitter and Instagram, become a fan of Millersville Athletics on Facebook, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To support the Marauders, join the Black & Gold Club.
