Edinboro, Pa. – The Edinboro women's basketball team opened the second half on a 15-0 run to pull away from visiting Wheeling 78-62 in the season opener Friday night inside McComb Fieldhouse.
 
The teams entered the half tied 33-33. In the third quarter, Morgan Gentile connected on a 3-pointer on the Scots first possession sparking 15 straight points. The Scots held Wheeling off the scoreboard for the first 4:34 of the third quarter. After Rachel Wilson scored for the Cardinals at the 4:11 mark of the quarter to make the score 54-39, Edinboro went on a 7-1 run pushing the lead to its largest margin 61-40 on a pair of Maura Suman free throws. The Scots held a 63-46 advantage at the end of the third.
 
The Edinboro lead grew back to 21 twice in the fourth quarter the latest, 72-51, on a Gentile triple with 6:43 to play. Wheeling closed the game on an 11-6 run to set the final.
 
In the first quarter, the Scots jumped out to a 10-0 lead led by eight points from Hayley Sims. The Cardinals scored their first bucket of the game 4:21 into the quarter sparking six straight points to cut the lead to 10-6. Back-to-back buckets from Sims and Gabby McDuffie pushed the Edinboro advantage to 14-6. Wheeling closed the quarter with a 7-3 spurt to cut the deficit to 17-13.
 
The Scots held a 29-20 lead after a Suman jumper at the 5:14 mark of the second, but Wheeling answered with an 11-0 run to take their first lead 31-29 with 1:51 remaining in the first half. Gillian Fisher tied the game with a layup and Wilson put Wheeling back ahead with a pair of free throws. Sims sent the teams to the break tied at 33 after finishing a layup off a steal with 10 seconds remaining in the half.
 
Gentile led the Scots in scoring with 16 points. Sims added 14 points, four rebounds and two steals. Ashten Boggs added 10 points, five boards, five steals, three helpers and a pair of blocks. Ava Haddad chipped in 11 points, three rebounds and two assists while Suman finished with 10 points, four assists, three steals and three rebounds. McDuffie chipped in nine points and a team-best seven rebounds.
 
Emilia Sierra Lacosta led Wheeling with 19 points and five rebounds. Wilson recorded a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards.
 
The Scots return to action on Saturday when they host West Liberty at 5 p.m. inside McComb Fieldhouse.