BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Moravian College women's basketball team will host the 13th Annual Roosevelt's Moravian Winter Classic with Immaculata University, John Jay College and Wilkes University on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 3-4 at Johnston Hall.
The Greyhounds are 20-4 in the Moravian Winter Classic while winning seven of the 12 tournaments, with the last tournament title coming in 2012. Senior forward Laura Jordan and now-graduated Amanda Kreuder were named to the 2013 All-Tournament team as the Greyhounds fell to FDU-Florham, 83-79, in the championship game in last year's annual competition.
Moravian is off to an 8-2 start to the season, with the two losses coming on the road to nationally-ranked opponents. The Greyhounds are outscoring their opponents by 7.8 points this season while shooting .416 from the floor and holding opposing teams to a 35.6 shooting percentage. The Hounds rank second in the nation in blocked shots per game at 7.9 blocks per contest in games through Dec. 15.
The Greyhounds have recorded 71 blocked shots, the second best total in the country, in the first nine games of the season including a school-record 22 blocks versus Centenary College on Dec. 9.
Junior forward Alexis Wright led the early-season block party with 24 to go with a team-best 14.8 ppg and 8.8 rpg, but will miss the remainder of the season with an injury. This season, Wright became the 11th player in school history to record 600 rebounds and currently sits 79 points away from 1,000 for her career.
Senior captains Katie O'Rourke and Danielle Brogan both average in double-figures in points per game from the guard positions. O'Rourke (12.7 ppg) leads the squad in assists with 31, while Brogan (11.9 ppg) is the team's top threat from downtown with 19 made three-pointers. Jordan has been a consistent presence in the Greyhounds' lineup, averaging 6.4 ppg and 5.0 rpg to go with 15 blocks.
Immaculata University enters its first Moravian Winter Classic with an overall record of 6-2, including a perfect 3-0 mark in Colonial States Athletic Conference play. The Mighty Macs are outscoring their opponents by 14.3 a game.
The Mighty Macs are led by junior guard Sara Smith, who averages 18.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg. Junior forward Brittany Merkle (12.1 ppg) is shooting 59.1 percent from the floor and leads the team with 8.4 rpg, while junior swing Alison Zimny has hit 10 three-pointers and 19-of-21 free throws for her 10.6 ppg.
Junior guard Adriana Sciascia (8.9 ppg) leads the team in steals with 26 and has added 21 assists. Junior guard Mackie Fitzgerald paces the Macs with 27 assists to go with 8.6 ppg, 10 three-pointers and 17 steals.
John Jay College also enters its first Moravian Winter Classic. The Bloodhounds enter the weekend with a 3-6 record. John Jay is scoring 64.7 points per contest on a .394 shooting percentage, while holding opponents to a .367 mark from the floor.
The Bloodhounds are led by junior guard Tyana Hale's 16.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg, to go with a team-best 14 steals. Senior forward Jamecia Forsythe averages a double-double with 13.2 ppg and 11.2 rpg with team-high marks of a .473 percentage from the floor and nine blocks.
Junior forward Aneska Tejada boasts averages of 7.1 ppg and 4.8 rpg as the first players off the bench, while junior guard Kaitlin Fitzgerald (5.9 ppg) has hit a team-best 13 three pointers. Fitzgerald, Hale and sophomore guard Terri Chu (4.9 ppg, 10 three-pointers, team-leading 28 assists) are all in double-figures in three-point field goals made this season. Junior forward Amanda Jimenez is averaging 6.0 ppg and 5.4 rpg this season for the Bloodhounds.
Wilkes University will also be participating in the school's first Moravian Winter Classic. The Colonels have a 1-6 record this season. After opening the season with a win against Goucher College, Wilkes lost four straight games by five points or less, including one in overtime. The Colonels are holding opponents to 63.7 points per contest and a .357 shooting percentage through their first seven games.
The Colonels are led by sharpshooting junior guard Elena Stambone, who leads the team with 20.9 ppg and 17 three-point field goals. Junior swing Chelsea Brown joins Stambone in double-figures in scoring with 14.1 ppg and boasts team-high marks with 9.6 rpg and 16 steals.
Junior forward Ginny Edwards has averaged 4.6 ppg and 8.3 rpg this season, while junior center Ellen Rich has blocked 22 shots to go with averages of 4.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Sophomore guard Kayla Brahm (2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg) controls the floor with a team-best 27 assists.
Immaculata and Wilkes will begin the 13th Annual Roosevelt's Moravian Winter Classic with a first round game at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 3. Moravian will finish the first round on Friday night when they host John Jay at 7 p.m.
The victors of the first round games will meet in the tournament championship in Saturday, Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. in Johnston Hall. The two remaining teams will play in the consolation round at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Follow live stats and video of all four games here: http://moraviansports.com/sports/wbkb/2013-14/tournament/index.
