By Anthony Caruso
Staff Writer
The College’s women’s basketball team got off to a rough start to their season in the DeSales Tip-off Tournament, on Saturday, Nov. 14. They lost both games to their Pennsylvania competition, Widener University and the University of Scranton, in very close fashion.
In their first game of the DeSales Tip-Off, the Lions lost, 59-53, to the Scranton Lady Royals.
Royals’ junior forward Alexix Roman had 22 points and seven rebounds. She was the only player in double figures on her team.
Other Royals, junior Sarah Payonk and seniors Jaclyn Gantz and Noelle Alicea all had eight points each.
The Lady Royals scored 15 compared to the Lions’ 13 in the fourth quarter for the win. In the third quarter, Scranton scored 22 points, while the Lions had 17.
At halftime, Scranton led the Lions, 23-22. Both teams had 15 in a quarter, while the College had eight in the first quarter and the Lady Royals had seven in the second.
Scranton shot 45.1 percent from the field. They were also eight for 12 from the free throw line. The Lions, on the other hand, shot 36.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from the free throw line.
Freshman Kate O’Leary scored a career-high 15 points in her first collegiate game. She was followed by sophomore Charlotte Schum, who added 14 and senior Angelica Esposito, who scored 12.
Senior Jess Lynch added seven, while fellow senior Christina Merlin added five more.
On the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 15, in the consolation game of the tournament, the Lions lost, 59-55, to the Widener University Pride.
The Pride were led by sophomore Allison Gallagher, who had a game-high 22 points. Senior Brianna Wylie was the Pride player in double-figures, as she had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
At halftime, the Pride led, 31-23. The Lions trailed, 14-10, after the first quarter, then, 17-13, in the second.
Both teams had 10 points each in the third, before the Lions went on a 22-18 run to end the game, but it was not enough to win.
Esposito had 16 points, five rebounds and three assists, along with two steals. Junior Katy Amato added 11 points and seven rebounds, as the two players in double digits.
The Lions shot 35.5 percent from the field. They were three for four from the free throw line, as O’Leary had the lone miss.
O’Leary had eight points in her second collegiate game. Schum added six, while junior Kim Dana had five.
The Lions look to win their first home game on Tuesday, Nov. 17, against Moravian University.
