Women’s Basketball Breaks Block Record, Tops Centenary
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College women’s basketball team set a new school record for blocked shots in a game with 22 as they defeated Centenary (N.J.) College 78-49 in non-conference action on Monday night in Johnston Hall.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
17 | 32 | 49 |
|
|
39 | 39 | 78 |
Team Stats
Centenary (N.J.) University
| Game Statistics | Centenary (N.J.) University | Moravian University |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (14-61) | (29-69) |
| Field Goal % | 23.0% | 42.0% |
| Rebounds | 42 | 60 |
| Assists | 7 | 22 |
| Turnovers | 22 | 24 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 16 | 24 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 12 | 11 |
| Pts in the Paint | 16 | 26 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 12 |
| Bench Pts | 19 | 43 |
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College women's basketball team set a new school record for blocked shots in a game with 22 as they defeated Centenary (N.J.) College 78-49 in non-conference action on Monday night in Johnston Hall.
The Greyhounds (7-1, 1-0 Landmark Conference) won their seventh straight game by setting the tone of efficient offense and shutdown defense early in the contest.
"Our intensity from the start was very good, and we talked about that before the game," said head coach Mary Beth Spirk, whose squad was coming off their first Landmark Conference win over nationally-ranked Juniata College on Saturday. "We didn't want a letdown after a big conference win this weekend. We maintained it throughout the game for the most part and there were a lot of different combinations with 17 girls seeing minutes tonight."
Thirteen Greyhounds scored a bucket on Monday, with senior forward Laura Jordan leading the way with 10 points, nine rebounds and six of Moravian's record-breaking 22 blocks.
"The post players were keyed on help defense," said Jordan, who tied her career high in blocks. "We had to work as a team today and it was a good team win. We knew we had a size advantage and could break their zone defense, and we did that very well tonight."
A pair of freshman in Morgan Calabrese and Natalie Vanderlaan-Meyering each scored eight points, with Vanderlaan-Meyering notching six blocks. Senior guard Danielle Brogan scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory.
Moravian broke the previous school record of 18 blocks in a game, set on Dec. 6, 2011. Jordan and Alexis Wright each had two blocks in that game, while Brogan added one.
"The record just gives us more confidence," Spirk said. "Laura Jordan worked so hard to help her team on defense and Natalie Vanderlaan-Meyering has really stepped up to earn the playing time that allowed her to shine defensively tonight."
The Greyhounds built a quick 20-6 lead in the opening six minutes, helped by the sharpshooting of sophomore Alesha Marcks, who came off the bench to score five straight points including a three-point play.
Wright exited the game with seven minutes left in the first half with an injury and did not return. She had seven points on 3-of-6 shooting, two rebounds, a steal and a block up to that point.
Jordan and senior Katie O'Rourke (six points, three assists, three steals) led Moravian to a 39-17 advantage at halftime. Jordan made back-to-back jumpers after Wright left the game for the 33-15 lead. Calabrese and freshman guard Nellie Tanguay each hit a three-point field goal in the closing two minutes of the opening half to send the Greyhounds into the break with a commanding advantage.
The intensity picked up where it left off in the second half for the Greyhounds, who opened the final 20 minutes on a 10-2 run, capped by a trey from senior guard Alyssa Hann, who scored all of her five points (2-of-4 shooting) in the second half.
Senior forward Ericka Blair also did her damage in the second half. Her three-point play and 3-for-3 mark from the free throw line helped the Hounds maintain a dominating lead.
With a comfortable cushion in the second half, Spirk was able to rest a group of hard-working Hounds and allocate valuable playing time to eager players waiting in the wings.
"It was nice to have the freshmen come in and play hard," Spirk said. "It's a long season and anything can happen. Everybody has to be ready to play, and they all did a nice job."
Moravian boasted 43 points off the bench, and scored 24 points off Centenary turnovers. The Greyhounds shot 42 percent from the field while holding the Cyclones to a 23 percent mark.
Sophomore guard Karine Polgar and Blair each had two blocks, while Hann, Tanguay, Marcks, sophomore forward Karlee Corvasce and freshman forward Shannon Zimmerman all had one to help break the record.
Moravian returns to Landmark Conference play on Sunday, Dec. 15 with a 4 p.m. tipoff against The United States Merchant Marine Academy at Johnston Hall. The Greyhounds travel to Montclair State University, currently ranked No. 3 by the WBCA and D3hoops.com, on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m.
