BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University women's basketball squad topped visiting Wilkes University, 55-47, in Landmark Conference action Wednesday evening in Johnston Hall in the Greyhounds final home game of the 2023-24 season with the victory keeping the Hounds in the race for a Landmark Conference Tournament berth. 

How It Happened

• The Colonels netted the first three points of the contest while junior forward Brielle Guarente hit a jumper to get the Blue & Grey on the board and cut the deficit to 3-2. However, Wilkes scored the next seven points to pull out to a 10-2 edge. The Greyhounds pulled within two at 10-8 after a lay-up by freshman guard Lizzie Lustig with three minutes on the clock. The Colonels added the last three points of the period to lead 13-8 after ten minutes of action
• Moravian opened the second quarter with six straight points as a lay-up by freshman center Lanie Herbert had the Blue & Grey up 14-13 at the 7:02 mark. The squads traded the lead four times over the next three minutes with the Hounds eventually going on a 10-0 run to build a 26-18 advantage on a Guarente jumper with 2:19 until the intermission. Guarente added another basket late to send the Greyhounds to the locker room with a 28-20 advantage after outscoring the Colonels, 20-7, in the quarter
• Early in the third period, Moravian pushed the edge into double digits, and the Hounds led by as many as 13 points at 35-22 with 6:25 on the clock after a pair of free throws by senior forward Sam Osorio. However, the Blue & Grey were held to just six points in the remainder of the quarter as Wilkes went on a 16-5 run to cut the Moravian edge to 41-38 after 30 minutes of play
• The Colonels scored first in the fourth quarter to get within a point while the Greyhounds stretched the edge back to five points at 47-42 after a free throw from freshman center Grace Steffen. Wilkes netted the next five points to knot the score at 47-47 with 3:41 to play. Moravian's defense would not allow the Colonels to score again while the Hounds made eight free throws in the final 2:07 to earn the victory 

Inside the Numbers

• Moravian had two players score in double figures, led by Guarente, who netted 14 points to go with four rebounds, four assists and three steals
• Lustig recorded the first double-double of her collegiate career with 12 points and a career-best ten rebounds to go with two steals and a pair of blocked shots
• Osorio finished with eight points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots as she moved into 11th all-time at Moravian with 657 career rebounds, moving past Kirsty Stearns '10 while Herbert added six points and four boards
• Senior guard Reganne Flannery posted five points, six rebounds and five assists while sophomore guards Jayda Cartagena and Juliana Vassallo both had four points with Vassallo adding three rebounds and Cartagena grabbing two boards
• Steffen had two points to round out the scoring for the Blue & Grey
• The Hounds shot 21-for-59 from the field, 1-of-9 on three-pointers and 12-for-14 at the foul line
• Moravian posted a 44-33 edge on the boards including 12-7 on the offensive glass, and the Blue & Grey forced Wilkes into 15 turnovers while committing just 11 miscues 

Up Next for the Greyhounds

• Saturday, February 17 at Juniata College, 4:00 p.m.