BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's basketball team is set to host the 15th Roosevelt's 21st Greyhound Classic in Johnston Hall on Saturday and Sunday, December 30-31.
The tournament was held for 13 consecutive years before taking two years off after a change in the Landmark Conference schedule. The tournament resumed last December. Host Moravian will play Allegheny College in Saturday's second game beginning at 2:00 p.m. The Greyhounds and the Gators are meeting for the first time on the basketball court.
Penn State Lehigh Valley and William Paterson University will battle in the other first round game at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The consolation game is slated for 11:00 a.m. on Sunday and the championship contest will start at 1:00 p.m. William Paterson is in the tournament for the fifth time, winning the title in 2007 and 2011, while Penn State Lehigh Valley is in the tournament for a second straight year and Allegheny is making its first appearance.
Moravian headed to their 21-day holiday break with an overall record of 8-2 and a 0-1 slate in the Landmark Conference season. The Greyhounds, who played their last game on December 9, return for the tournament having won three straight contests.
Moravian Head Coach Mary Beth Spirk is in her 31st season with the Greyhounds, and is bringing a career record of 570-268 into the tournament. This will be the first ever meeting for the Greyhounds against Allegheny. Moravian is 1-0 all-time against Penn State Lehigh Valley, and the Greyhounds are 2-3 versus William Paterson University including a loss in the 2011 Greyhound Classic Championship game.
Graduate student forward Camille McPherson leads the Greyhounds with a 15.9 points per game scoring average to go with 5.4 rebounds per contest, 11 three-pointers, 10 assists, five blocked shots and four steals. Sophomore guard Maddie Capuano is netting 14.8 points per outing to go along with 33 rebounds, 15 three-pointers, 36 assists and 19 steals while sophomore forward Nadine Ewald leads the Hounds on the boards at 8.3 rebounds per game to go along with 9.7 points per contest, 12 blocked shots, 10 assists and nine steals.
Sophomore guard Karlie Brogan is contributing 8.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game to go with 17 assists, 14 steals, six three-pointers and six blocked shots while senior forward Trista Cunningham is adding 7.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest with 12 steals, 11 assists and nine blocked shots. Senior forward Ciara Stewart is netting 6.0 points per outing with 34 rebounds and 14 blocked shots while freshman guard Jennifer McClave has 30 points, 21 rebounds, 18 assists and 12 steals and freshman guard Julia Sirotnak has contributed 25 points and 25 rebounds for Moravian. Junior forward Ariana Caiati has added 16 rebounds and 13 points while freshman forward Jordan Beneducci has 13 points, junior guard Emily Walls has 11 points and senior guard Taylor Freeman has scored 10 points.
Allegheny College from Meadville, Pennsylvania rode into the holiday break with a 3-7 record. The Gators compete in the North Coast Athletic Conference and are 1-3 in conference action this season. Allegheny is headed by Kate Costanzo, who is in her 11th season at the helm.
Junior guard Delaney Arbore leads the Gators at 15.5 points per game to go with 30 rebounds, 20 three-pointers, 12 assists and 11 steals. Senior guard Madison Caufield leads Allegheny on the boards with an average of 7.9 rebounds per outing to go with 6.8 points per contest, and nine assists while freshman forward Julianna Skowron is contributing 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per outing with eight assists and a team-high five blocked shots.
Freshman guard Rylee Donovan is adding 6.2 points per game to go along with 33 assists, 26 rebounds and 15 steals. Sophomore guard Zoe Soilis has averages of 4.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest with 12 assists while junior guard/forward Kaylah Pinkney is adding 4.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per outing.
Penn State Lehigh Valley from Center Valley, Pennsylvania took a 6-3 record into the holiday break. The Nittany Lions compete in the Penn State University Athletic Conference and are 3-1 in conference play in 2017-18. Penn State Lehigh Valley is led by Moravian alum Lorie Khalil, who is in her fourth season at the school and 13th as a college coach.
Sophomore forward Ebony Sanders leads the Nittany Lions in scoring and rebounding with averages of 14.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game to go with 20 blocked shots, nine assists and seven steals. Senior guard Andrea Watkins is adding 13.2 points per contest to go with 32 rebounds, 21 assists, 31 steals and three three-pointers while senior guard/forward Hannah Bankes is netting 12.7 points per outing with 32 rebounds, 26 three-pointers, 16 assists and 16 steals.
Freshman guard/forward Anaya White is contributing 6.8 points per game off of the bench for Penn State Lehigh Valley to go along with 27 rebounds and 14 steals while junior forward Gia White is adding 6.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest with 11 assists and 19 steals. Senior forward Kereece Seuren is scoring 5.9 points and grabbing 7.1 rebounds per outing with 12 steals and nine assists while sophomore guard Alexis Schratt has 50 points, 21 rebounds, 20 assists and 12 steals. Senior guard/forward Nikita Brady has added 41 points, 44 rebounds, 41 assists and 19 steals while sophomore guard Myasia Taylor has 38 points, 24 rebounds, 15 assists and 15 steals and freshman guard Makayla Brown-Paul has 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven three-pointers.
William Paterson University from Wayne, New Jersey entered the holiday break with a 5-5 record. The Pioneers compete in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and are 3-2 in conference play this winter. William Paterson is coached by Erin Monahan, who is in her 25th season.
Junior guard Julie Rovito leads the Pioneers in scoring at 14.5 points per game to go along with 5.0 rebounds per outing, 53 assists, 25 steals, eight blocked shots and seven three-pointers. Senior forward Tori Woetzel has a team-high 7.0 rebounds per contest average to go with 13.8 points per outing, 25 assists, 19 blocked shots and 14 steals while junior guard Ashley Castillo is netting 9.4 points per game to go along with 30 rebounds, 21 assists, 16 three-pointers and 10 assists.
Junior guard CeCe Green is adding 5.3 points per outing with 29 rebounds, 15 steals and 10 assists while freshman forward Sierra Strong has 45 points and 30 rebounds for William Paterson this winter. Freshman guard Danica DeFrank has added 43 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists and 15 steals while junior forward Carolyn Hill has 39 points and 37 rebounds. Junior guard Alisa Giordano has 27 points and 11 rebounds while freshman guard Brianna Brooks has added 30 points and 14 boards.
