Moravian Picks Up Tournament Win

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Junior forward Alyssa Bisci was a perfect 14-for-14 at the foul line and had a career high 21 points, and Moravian made 29 of 32 free throws to overcome poor shooting from the floor and a six-point deficit with 7:37 remaining to defeat Frostburg State University, 67-63, in the first round of the 8th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic in Johnston Hall.

The win was the sixth straight for the 21st-ranked Greyhounds and improves the team’s overall mark to 8-1 on the season. Moravian will face William Paterson University in the championship game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. after the Pioneers defeated Bridgewater State University, 76-62, in the other first round game. Frostburg falls to 3-6 on the year and will play in the consolation game at 1:00 p.m.

Moravian shot just 31 percent (18 of 58) from the floor but shot over 90 percent at the foul line for the second time this season. The Greyhounds have attempted more free throws than their opponents in their last three contests, and Moravian has been to the foul line at least 25 times during each game of its winning streak and shot over 70 percent at the charity stripe in the last five contests. The Bobcats were just five-for-six at the foul line in the game.

The Greyhounds jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a pair of free throws from junior forward Kirsty Stearns, two free throws from Bisci and a jumper from junior guard/forward Kate Harrison. Frostburg State would finally get on the scoreboard with a free throw from sophomore forward Mercedes White at the 17:13 mark. Moravian led 10-3 after another two free throws from Stearns with 15:41 remaining in the first half, and the Greyhounds were up by seven points, 14-7, after two Bisci free throws. Frostburg State responded with an 8-0 run to take a 15-14 lead with 9:56 to go on a jumper from senior guard Jamie Morningstar.

The teams would trade the lead with Moravian eventually retaking the lead for the remainder of the half on a jumper from freshman guard Hilary Murray with 7:08 on the clock. Murray’s bucket started an 8-0 Moravian run as the Greyhounds would build a 26-19 lead at the 4:24 mark on a lay-up from sophomore guard/forward Emily Smith, her first bucket of the season after missing the first eight games of the year. The Bobcats would close the Moravian lead to two points on four occasions before heading to the locker room down 34-32 at the intermission.

Moravian was just 11 of 35 from the floor (31.4 percent) in the first 20 minutes, and the Greyhounds missed all four of their three-point attempts. However, Moravian was 12 of 13 (92.3 percent) at the foul line, and the Greyhounds had just seven first half turnovers to maintain the lead. Frostburg State was 15 of 33 from the floor (45.5 percent), one-for-three on three-pointers and one-for-two at the foul line in the first 20 minutes. The Bobcats turned the ball over 11 times in the first half while both teams had 22 rebounds.

Stearns started the second half with a jumper n the lane to give Moravian a 36-32 lead, and Moravian was up 40-37 after a Harrison lay-up at the 16:34 mark. Frostburg State responded with a 9-0 run to take a 46-40 lead on a three-point play by freshman forward Caryn Wright with 14:19 left. The Bobcats held the lead for the next nine and a half minutes, leading by as many as six points two more times, the final time at 56-50 after a lay-up from junior forward Brittany James at the 7:37 mark.

Bisci connected on a pair of free throws with 6:59 to play to begin an 11-0 Moravian run that game the Greyhounds the lead for good. Moravian would get that lead on a three-point play by junior guard Jessica Foran at the 4:52 mark for a 57-56 lead. Foran, who is Moravian’s school record holder in free throw percentage, would hit six more free throws in the final 35 seconds to seal the win, and Foran has made 26 straight free throws. The Bobcats would get within two points, 65-63, with six seconds to play on a three-pointer from freshman forward Madeka Peterson, but Foran hit her final two free throws a second later to finish off the scoring.

Moravian was just seven-for-23 from the floor (30.4 percent) in the second half, and the Greyhounds made two of six three-pointers. Moravian was 17 of 19 at the foul line and the squad finished the game with a 44-38 edge in rebounds. Frostburg State’s shooting cooled in the second half as the Bobcats were 13 of 35 from the floor (37.1 percent), one of seven on three-pointers and a perfect four-for-four at the foul line.

Bisci’s 21 points were a game high, and her 100 percent performance at the foul line tied the school record for percentage but Bisci’s 14-for-14 surpassed the 12-for-12 performances by Nicole Farina versus Dickinson College on February 3, 1993 and Kim Hughes versus Drew University on December 9, 2003. Bisci also had two rebounds and two assists. The only other Greyhound in double figures was Stearns with ten points, and she added five rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.

Moravian used 11 players in the game with ten scoring. Foran added nine points and a team high eight rebounds while Murray tossed in seven points with a team high four assists and a pair of boards. Harrison had six points and three assists while sophomore guard forward Amy Heffner had six rebounds and four points. Freshman forward Alexandra Blair also tossed in four points and had two blocked shots and two rebounds while Smith had three boards and two points. Junior forward Lauren Fornazor added two points and two rebounds while junior forward Alyson Steltz netted two points.

The Bobcats placed four players in double figures with White scoring a team high 15 points with five assists, four rebounds and three steals. James added 14 points and eight rebounds while Wright had 12 points, all in the second half due to foul trouble in the first half, and a game high 11 rebounds, eight in the second half. Peterson tossed in 11 points. Morningstar had six rebounds, four points and four assists for Frostburg State.

Story provided by Moravian Sports Information