INDIANA, Pa. (Nov. 28, 2015) – The Edinboro University women's basketball team used a fast start to survive a cold finish and claim a 60-46 win over Johnson C. Smith in the first day of the IUP-Lodestar Classic at the Kovalchick Complex. The victory boosted the Fighting Scots to 5-2, while Johnson C. Smith fell to 3-2.
 
Edinboro jumped out to a 17-8 lead after one quarter behind nine points from Lauren Hippo. The senior guard made three-of-four field goals in the first ten minutes, including two-of-three 3-pointers.
 
The Golden Bulls would grab their lone lead of the game at 4-2 less than two minutes into the contest, but Edinboro would score the next 11 points while holding Johnson C. Smith scoreless for close to four minutes. Hippo started the run with a 3-pointer, followed by an Aignee' Freeland layup. Hippo and Katie Fischer followed with three's for a 13-4 lead with 4:12 left in the quarter.
 

Edinboro made 6-of-12 shots from the floor in the first quarter, but would convert just 14-of-43 shots the rest of the way. It didn't matter, though. Edinboro led 35-23 at the half as Fischer scored 10 of Edinboro's 18 points in the second quarter.
 
The Fighting Scots used another run – this one 11-1 – to go up by 15 points in the quarter at 33-18. After Johnson C. Smith closed to 22-17 with 6:18 to play, the Boro answered with a Michelle Jahn layup, followed by a Fischer three and a layup by Cheniya Sharp. Larryqua Hall's free throw ended the run, as the Golden Bulls went almost three minutes without a point. Fischer hit another 3-pointer to make it 33-18.
 
Edinboro grabbed its biggest lead of the game at 51-35 at the third quarter as Whitney Allen sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds.
 
With the big cushion, Edinboro was able to survive a cold fourth quarter, the Fighting Scots made just one shot in the first six minutes – an Allen jumper -- and went just 2-for-12 over the final ten minutes. But Johnson C. Smith wasn't much better, and the Golden Bulls never pulled closer than then points.     
 
Edinboro ended the game shooting 36.4 percent from the floor (20-of-55), while Johnson C. Smith came in at 36.5 percent (19-of-52), However, the Fighting Scots were 7-of-21 on 3-pointers, while the Golden Bulls missed all eight of their attempts from beyond the arc. They were also 13-for-16 at the free throw line compared to 8-for-17 for Johnson C. Smith. The Fighting Scots held a 42-34 edge on the glass. Edinboro committed 16 turnovers and Johnson C. Smith 15.
 
Fischer and Jahn led a trio of Fighting Scots in double figures with 15 points apiece. Fischer added seven assists, three steals and three blocked shots. Hippo ended the afternoon with 12 points and five assists.
 
Freeland finished with eight points and nine rebounds, while Allen led all rebounders with 10, while contributing eight points.
 
Edinboro will play its third straight game a CIAA opponent on Sunday at 12 noon when the Fighting Scots face St. Augustine's on day two of the IUP-Lodestar Classic.