EDINBORO, Pa. – Senior guard Katie Fischer (Ambridge, Pa.) scored 24 of her 29 points in the first half to lead the Edinboro University women's basketball team to a 90-59 non-league victory over Daemen College here tonight.
It marked the first loss of the year for Daemen (2-1), which was looking to start 3-0 for the first time since the 2012-13 season. EU, which has won 145 games and made four NCAA Division II Tournament appearances over the past six seasons, picked up its first win (1-2) of the season.
Senior Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) led the Wildcats in scoring for the third-straight game, as she connected on 6-of-10 shots and totaled 16 points, four assists and two steals. Junior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) added 13 points and a team-high five rebounds. Senior Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) chipped in seven points, while freshman Carina Pringle (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) added six points.
Fischer connected on 11-of-14 shots overall and was 7-for-10 from downtown. Freshman Michaela Barnes (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) helped the EU cause with 14 points, four assists and two steals, while sophomore Michelle Jahn (Edinboro, Pa.) drilled four three-pointers and finished with 12 points.
Former Buffalo News All-WNY selections Jontay Walton (Buffalo, N.Y.). Ciara Roston (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Maggie Moore (Olean, N.Y.) also contributed for the Fighting Scots. Walton totaled 10 points, five rebounds and four steals in 25 minutes off the bench. Roston started and totaled eight points and six boards, while Moore added six points, a team-high eight rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes off the bench.
Edinboro came out firing, drilling three three-pointers and connecting on eight of their first 12 shots en route to an early 19-11 lead. Fischer, who scored seven of EU's first 19 points, drilled a triple with 3:57 left in the frame to give the hosts a 22-11 lead. A layup by senior Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) with 2:36 left snapped a three-minute scoreless stretch for Daemen, and a conventional three-point play by junior Liz Miles (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) a minute later pulled the Wildcats to within five points at 22-17. EU scored the next four points and the hosts took a 28-20 lead into the second quarter.
Fischer drilled three triples during an 11-6 run over the first three minutes of the second quarter that gave EU a 39-26 lead. The hosts took control with a 10-2 spurt over the next four minutes. Back-to-back three-pointers by Jahn and Barnes capped the run and gave EU a 49-28 lead with three minutes left before halftime. The teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter and the Fighting Scots took a 54-33 lead into the break.
Edinboro scored the first two points of the third quarter, before the Wildcats ran off seven-straight points and cut the lead to 16, 56-40, following a three-pointer by Galus with 8:30 left in the quarter. Daemen would come no closer though, as the Fighting Scots responded with an 8-0 run of their own and later opened up a 31-point lead, 78-47, following a jumper by Walton with 2:27 left in the frame. Daemen came no closer than 26 points the rest of the game.
Daemen shot 41-percent (20-48) from the field overall and connected on 4-of-12 from long range. The Wildcats made 15-of-22 from the charity stripe. EU shot 55-percent (21-38) in the first half (including 10-of-21 from downtown) and finished 31-for-65 (48%) from the field overall. The Fighting Scots finished 13-of-29 from three-point land and canned 15-of-16 free throws.
EU forced 22 Daemen turnovers and the hosts converted the miscues into 35 points. The Fighting Scots collected 17 offensive rebounds, which they turned into 18 second-chance points, and finished with a commanding 43-24 edge in total rebounds.
Daemen is idle until next Wednesday (Nov. 23) when it travels to South Euclid, Ohio for a non-league game at Notre Dame College.
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