Stearns Reaches Milestone As Greyhounds Roll

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The 14th-ranked Moravian College women’s basketball squad rolled to its tenth straight win and finished the first half of the Landmark Conference season with an undefeated 7-0 mark as the Greyhounds rolls past The Catholic University of America, 98-72, Saturday afternoon in Johnston Hall as senior forward Kirsty Stearns became the 20th Moravian women’s player to score 1,000 career points, and the second in as many days.

The Greyhounds used a balanced scoring attack as they scored a season high 98 points after a season best 57 points in the first half, and Moravian had all 13 players in uniform play at least four minutes with 11 of them over ten minutes and no one over 22 minutes. Moravian had six players in double figures with senior guard Amanda Brown netting a game high 15 points, all on three-pointers as she moved into sole possession of third place in school history with 171 career three-pointers. Stearns finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists and now has 1,001 points in her career.

Sophomore forward Alexandra Blair had 13 points, eight rebounds and a game high four blocked shots for Moravian while senior guard Jessica Foran had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Foran is now 38 points shy of 1,000 for her career. Senior forward Alyssa Bisci and junior guard/forward Emily Smith each tossed in ten points with Smith adding three boards.

Catholic had a pair of players in double figures with sophomore guard Holly Janicki scoring a team high 13 points. Senior guard/forward Kate Robinson had ten points and three rebounds for the Cardinals while junior guard/forward Brianna Peterson, Catholic’s leading scorer, was limited to seven points.

Catholic jumped out to a 5-0 lead on a three-pointer from Peterson and a jumper from Robinson as Moravian missed its first five shots of the game. The Greyhounds would get on the scoreboard at the 17:38 mark as Foran hit a lay-up. The Cardinals led 7-2 after a jumper from freshman guard Jenny McGann at 17:20.

Moravian would take the lead for good on a three-point play from Foran at 15:52 as part of a 14-2 run that gave the Greyhounds a 19-9 lead after a jumper from Stearns with 13:52 remaining in the first half. Except for two brief trips down the floor, Moravian kept its lead in double digits the rest of the half, and the Greyhounds went to the locker room with a 7-0 run for a 57-34 lead.

Moravian started the game three-for-11 from the floor but then turned on the offense and made 20-of-40 field goal attempts (50 percent), five-of-13 three-pointers and 12-of-16 free throws in the opening 20 minutes. The Greyhounds had a 22-17 advantage in rebounds in the first half, and Moravian had just nine turnovers while forcing the Cardinals into 18 turnovers. Catholic connected on 14-of-30 field goal attempts (46.7 percent), two-of-three three-pointers and four-of-seven free throws.

The Greyhounds kept the lead over 23 points the entire second half and were ahead 74-44 after Stearns hit her fifth free throw of the game for her 1,000th point with 13:34 to play. Moravian would take its largest lead of the game of 39 points, 90-51, on a three-pointer from sophomore guard Cassandra Phillips with 8:13 remaining. The Greyhounds, who were trying to reach 100 points for the first time since the final regular season game of the 2006-07 season, finished the contest just four-for-14 from the floor in the final eight minutes.

Moravian connected on 14-of-33 field goal attempts (42.4 percent), four-of-ten three-pointers and nine-of-ten free throws in the final 20 minutes, and the Greyhounds had a 39-36 edge in rebounds. Moravian committed 22 turnovers while forcing the Cardinals into 33 turnovers. Catholic was just nine-for-23 from the floor (39.1 percent), one-for-four on three-pointers and 19-for-24 at the foul line in the second half.

A day after netting her 1,000th point, senior guard Kate Harrison just missed being the seventh Greyhound player in double figures, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, three steals and a game high six assists. Junior center Amie Ballo tossed in four points and had two rebounds for Moravian while Phillips finished with three points and a pair of steals. Junior guard Jennie Miller added two points off the bench while senior forward Alyson Steltz had three assists as the only Greyhound player not to score in the game.

Freshman guard Jill Woerner and freshman forward Katarina Owunna each had eight points and five rebounds for Catholic while McGann finished with seven points. Junior guard/forward Jennifer Canale added six points and five rebounds for the Cardinals while sophomore guards Aja Crites and Brielle Crites each had four points.

Story provided by Moravian Sports Information