EDINBORO, Pa. – The Edinboro women's basketball team jumped out to an 19-0 lead in the first quarter, and never looked back in a 90-70 win over Seton Hill on Wednesday at McComb Fieldhouse. The contest marked Edinboro's first of three straight home games, and its first since November 19th, as the Scots concluded a five-game road trip over the weekend.
With the win, the Fighting Scots improved to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in the PSAC West. The Griffins, who entered the contest riding a six-game winning streak, fell to 9-4 and 4-3 in conference play. Seton Hill entered the game riding a six-game winning streak. Edinboro ranked 15th in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Poll and were 25th in the D2SIDA Media Poll.
Over the opening 6:20 of the contest, the Fighting Scots scored the first 19 points of the game, with
Michelle Jahn scoring 12 points during the 19-0 run. Edinboro never trailed in the contest, leading by as many 23 points in the fourth quarter. The run ended when Courtney Cecere came off the bench for a layup with 4:21 left in the quarter.
After heading into the second quarter up 23-13,
Ciara Rosten scored a layup just 11 seconds into the frame for a 12-point lead. But the Griffins cut the Fighting Scots lead to single digits on a 8-0 run of their own. They would come to within six points at 27-21, but they never closed the gap any further. Edinboro would answer with an 11-3 run, as its lead increased to 16 points, and a 44-31 lead at the half.
In the third stanza, Seton Hill cut the Scots lead to nine points at 54-45 with 2:02 remaining in the period. During the run, Rosten was on the bench, and she would be joined by Jahn with four fouls apiece. With two of their top three scorers on the bench, Edinboro entered the fourth quarter 64-50. The Scots made sure Seton Hill didn't get back into the contest, making 11-of-18 field goals for 26 points.
Four Fighting Scots scored in double figures, with
Michaela Barnes scoring a career-high 19 points for Edinboro. The 5'6" sophomore guard converted on 6-of-10 shots from the floor, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Rosten picked up her fourth double-double of the campaign with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, to go along with 12 rebounds, and three steals. The 6'2" senior forward also blocked four shots, extending her streak to six straight contests with at least three swats per game.
Jontay Walton also scored 17 points, while dishing out a game-high six assists, recording four steals and committing just one turnover. Jahn ended the game with 16 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the floor, and 2-of-3 from deep.
Cheniya Sharpe posted a near double-double with eight points and eight rebounds, to go along with four steals.
Jenna Kaufman led Seton Hill with 16 points. Cheyenne Trest and Lindsey Mifsud also scored in double figures with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Courtney Cecere and Katie Nolan came off the bench for 15 of the team's 21 bench points, as they contributed eight and seven points, respectively. Nolan also led the Griffins in rebounding with seven boards.
Edinboro shot 47.4 percent (37-of-78) from the field, while also making over half their attempts in the first quarter (9-of-17; 52.9 percent) and fourth quarters (11-of-18; 61.1 percent). The Scots also connected on 7-of-13 3-pointers, and were 9-for-11 on free throws. They held Seton Hill to 34.8 percent (23-of-66) on the night. The Griffins made 7-of-22 shots from long range, and converted 17-of-22 shots from the charity stripe. They were also held to six or fewer made field goals in each quarter.
The Fighting Scots won the battle on the glass, 52-35, held a 15-8 advantage on offensive rebounds, and led 14-6 in steals. They also won the battle in the paint, 44-30, and outscored Seton Hill in second chance points, 18-2, and fast break points, 15-6.
Edinboro is back at McComb Fieldhouse on Saturday, when they host Kutztown in their final conference crossover game of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
