TOWSON, Md. --- The Moravian College women's basketball team raced out to an early 20-point lead before holding on to defeat host Goucher College, 72-66, in Landmark Conference action Wednesday evening.
The Greyhounds improve to 13-5 overall this winter and finish the first half of the Landmark Conference season with a 5-2 mark.
The Blue and Grey had a pair of players record double-doubles with senior forward Camille McPherson picking up her fifth double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds to go with three assists. Freshman guard Karlie Brogan had her first collegiate double-double with 13 points and 13 boards, and Brogan added five steals and four assists. Freshman center Nadine Ewald had 14 points to go with five rebounds and a pair of steals while senior guard Morgan Calabrese tossed in 11 points to go with six assists as the Greyhounds placed four starters in double figures.
Freshman guard Maddie Capuano added eight points and three steals for Moravian while junior forward Trista Cunningham contributed seven rebounds and four points. Sophomore forward Ariana Caiati pulled down two boards and had one point while junior guard Taylor Freeman dished out three assists.
Ewald scored just nine seconds into the contest, and Brogan made it 4-0 before the Gophers scored. The Hounds added nine more points to take a 13-2 lead on a McPherson lay-up with 6:34 left in the opening quarter. After another basket by Goucher, Moravian ran off 11 straight points to take a 24-4 lead on a fast break lay-up from Calabrese with 3:42 still left in the period. However, the Greyhounds did not score the rest of the quarter as the Gophers scored nine points to cut Moravian's advantage to 24-13 after 10 minutes of action.
Just over three minutes into the second quarter, Ewald hit a lay-up as Moravian lead 29-14. Goucher answered with six straight points to get the Greyhounds' edge to nine points but the Blue and Grey would still have their 11-point cushion, 35-24, as the teams headed to the locker room for the intermission.
Moravian was able to keep its lead in double figures throughout the third quarter with the edge reaching 19 points twice on baskets by McPherson, the second time on a three-pointer for a 55-36 lead with just two minutes left in the period. The Greyhounds led 57-42 after 30 minutes of action.
Goucher slowly closed the game in the final quarter but the Hounds still led by 11 points, 66-55, with 3:44 left on a lay-up from Brogan. The Gophers pulled within four points with a minute and a half to play before a jumper by McPherson and a pair of free throws by Capuano sealed the victory for the Greyhounds.
Moravian is slated to return to action on Saturday, January 28 when the squad takes on Susquehanna University in a Landmark Conference game beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall.
