MADISON, N.J. --- Junior guard Emily MacDonnell scored a career-high 17 points and was one of four Moravian College women's basketball players to score in double figures as the Greyhounds posted an 84-62 win at Drew University in Landmark Conference action Wednesday evening.
With the victory, the Hounds improve to 12-10 overall but more importantly; the squad is now 8-5 in Landmark action, moving into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings, just a game out of third place. Moravian will host Elizabethtown College on Saturday in a key match-up between the schools tied for fourth in the standings.
MacDonnell was 6-for-10 from the floor and 4-of-8 behind the three-point line, and she added two assists and two rebounds in the victory over Drew. Senior forward Alexis Wright led the Greyhounds with her 12th double-double of the season and the 36th of her career as she had team-highs of 22 points, 16 of them in the second half, and 10 rebounds. Wright, who also had a pair of blocked shots against the Rangers, moved up two spots to eighth in school history in scoring at 1,272 points, and she increased her career total for rebounds to 886.
Junior forward Alesha Marcks nearly had her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and nine rebounds while freshman forward Trista Cunningham contributed 12 points and two boards. Sophomore guard Morgan Calabrese netted six points while junior guard Samantha Caligiuri added five points, three steals and to rebounds. Freshman guard Taylor Freeman scored four points.
"We started a bit slow, but regrouped and played well as a team," commented Head Coach Mary Beth Spirk. "Everyone contributed at different times on both ends of the court. We will need that kind of effort moving forward."
MacDonnell opened the scoring with a jumper just five seconds into action but Drew scored 13 of the next 19 points to take a 13-8 lead just over five minutes into action. Moravian ran off eight straight points to retake a 14-13 advantage on a lay-up from Cunningham with 12:24 on the clock. The Rangers moved back in front briefly before the Hounds took the lead for good on a MacDonnell three-pointer at the 8:10 mark snapped a 20-20 tie.
Moravian's advantage hit double digits, 34-24, on a Caligiuri three-pointer with 2:32 until the intermission, and the Greyhounds headed to the locker room with a 41-28 lead after shooting 47 percent (18-for-38) in the opening 20 minutes of action.
To start the second half, the Hounds scored seven straight points with MacDonnell's third three-pointer of the game pushing the lead to 20 points, 48-28, just 1:58 into the half. Moravian kept the lead over 12 points the rest of the contest and reaching a 26-point advantage, 84-58, with 3:56 remaining.
Moravian will host its annual Play 4Kay game to raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund on Saturday, February 14 when Elizabethtown comes to Johnston Hall. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. after the women's alumni game at 12:00 p.m. Saturday.
