LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The No. 16 University of Scranton Women's Basketball Team (10-0) shot nearly 60 percent from the field en route to an 86-57 win over Emory & Henry College (6-1) Sunday afternoon in the Las Vegas Hoopla. The contest was played at Centennial Hills Community Center.
Scranton, a member of the Landmark Conference, is the 16th-ranked team in NCAA Division III by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and is also ranked No. 17 by D3hoops.com.
The 6-0 start to the year by Emory & Henry was the best in the Division III era of program history, topping the previous best of 4-0 which occurred in the 1984-85 season.
The Lady Royals led wire-to-wire thanks to dead-eye shooting including a 13-for-19 performance by Alexix Roman which resulted in 30 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Sarah Payonk posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, adding four assists while Jacyln Gantz had eight points, six rebounds and six assists.
As a team, Scranton shot 34-for-57 (59.6 percent) for the game, assisting on 25 baskets. The Lady Royals hit seven three-pointers and converted on 11-of-14 attempts at the free throw line. Scranton also led 48-24 on points in the paint and posted an 18-7 advantage on points off turnovers.
Emory & Henry was paced by senior forward Karina Farr (Graham, Wash.) and sophomore guard Chloe Harris (Bristol, Va.) with eight points each. Farr added four rebounds while Harris notched six assists, two rebounds and two steals. Freshman forward Taylor Blevins (Abingdon, Va.) had seven points and six rebounds while senior forward Tamara Brewster (Morrow, Ga.) and sophomore guard Kelly King (Bent Mountain, Va.) had six points each.
The Wasps were 21-for-59 (35.6 percent) from the field and four-for-18 (22.2 percent) from three-point range. E&H held an 11-9 lead on second-chance points, thanks to a 7-5 lead on the offensive glass. Scranton, however, posted a 40-27 overall rebounding advantage.
Emory & Henry will be back in action on Monday at noon Pacific time (3:00 p.m. Eastern) when it takes on Goucher College in the final day of the 2015 Las Vegas Hoopla. The Gophers fell by an 82-68 score to Bridgewater College on Sunday.
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-photo courtesy of Keith Lucas/Sideline Media