2007-08 Game Summaries

February 23: Juniata 72, Susquehanna 56
February 17: Susquehanna 54, Drew 48
February 16: Merchant Marine 55, Susquehanna 43
February 10: Catholic 59, Susquehanna 58
February 9: Susquehanna 81, Goucher 54
February 2: Scranton 73, Susquehanna 57
February 1: Susquehanna 57, Moravian 49
January 27: Susquehanna 61, Goucher 49
January 26: Catholic 56, Susquehanna 46
January 19: Merchant Marine 67, Susquehanna 59
January 18: Susquehanna 66, Drew 57
January 12: Moravian 83, Susquehanna 74
January 11: Scranton 69, Susquehanna 57
January 7: Susquehanna 54, Baptist Bible 44
December 30: Susquehanna 68, Purchase 55
December 29: Staten Island 52, Susquehanna 51
December 15: Susquehanna 70, Richard Stockton 57
December 8: Wilkes 65, Susquehanna 42
December 6: Susquehanna 71, Lycoming 59
December 4: Elizabethtown 70, Susquehanna 64
December 1: Susquehanna 73, Juniata 67
November 28: Susquehanna 56, Chestnut Hill 51
November 20: Newmann 48, Susquehanna 47
November 18: Susquehanna 55, Elmira 53
November 17: Susquehanna 77, Lake Erie 70 (OT)

Susquehanna says goodbye to its seniors Box Score

SELINGSROVE, PA. – Five senior women played the final game of their collegiate careers Saturday night as Susquehanna's playoff hopes were diminished by a 72-56 loss at the hands of Juniata College.

Susquehanna had to defeat Juniata and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy had to lose in order for the Crusaders to clinch a spot in the Landmark Conference playoffs.

With 1:02 left in the game, seniors Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove), Val Houseal (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton), Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic), Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) and Courtney Thibeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) received a standing ovation as they stepped off of the court for the final time.

Head coach Jim Reed honored all five seniors by starting them. No senior played less than 20 minutes.

Juniata outscored Susquehanna 34-16 in the first half, but the Crusaders put up two more points in the second half than the Eagles.

Freshman Rachel Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) led the Crusaders, scoring a career-high 19 points in 23 minutes of play. Hughes also had two steals, two rebounds and two assists.

The Crusaders shot 40 percent from the field, including 21.4 percent from behind the three-point line.

The Eagles shot a perfect 100 percent from the free-throw line, going 11-11.

Juniata's Kelly Ashcraft tied Hughes for the game-high in points with 19. The Eagles put two other women in double figures as well with Claudia McDowell and Kelly Rotan posting 15 and 11, respectively.

Crusaders keep playoff hopes alive with win over Drew Box Score

MADISON, N.J. – After a tough loss Saturday to the Merchant Marine team they are battling for the fourth Landmark Conference playoff spot, the Susquehanna University women's basketball team rebounded Sunday for a 54-48 win over Drew.

Susquehanna moves to 13-11, 6-7 in Landmark play and, with Merchant Marines' loss to Juniata Sunday, remains in a tie for the fourth and final playoff spot. Drew falls to 6-18, 4-9 in the Landmark. Susquehanna also clinched the third straight winning season in as many years for head coach Jim Reed.

Drew opened the game with a quick four points in the first minute of play, then both teams held til consecutive threes by senior co-captain Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) and freshman Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) gave the advantage to the Crusaders. Scoring remained tight through most of the first half, with neither team pulling ahead by more than four until Susquehanna went on a 9-0 run to end the period.

Although the Rangers pulled within a basket several times in the second half and mounted a five-point blitz in the final two minutes, the Crusaders never relinquished the lead and held on for the six-point win.

McNallen keyed the Crusader win, leading the team with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. She was 5-of-6 from the line. Barron had five points, two assists and two steals and Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) added eight points.

Drew held the advantage in rebounds, 35-25, but Susquehanna shot 41.7 percent to the Rangers' 36 percent.

Susquehanna wraps up the regular season next Saturday, Feb. 23, in the 6 p.m. Senior Day game vs. Juniata.

Crusaders fall to Merchant Marine 55-43 Box Score

KINGS POINT, N.Y. – Senior Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) scored in double figures for the fourth time this season, recording 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds to lead Susquehanna (12-11, 5-7) in a 55-43 Landmark Conference road loss against the United States Merchant Marine Academy (14-9, 6-6). Freshman Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) added seven points and six rebounds.

The score changed hands three times before senior Leigh Henderson’s (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) jumper opened a 5-0 run with 4:36 left in the half to give the Crusaders an 18-12 advantage. The Mariners outscored Susquehanna 10-6 in the last 4:05, cutting their deficit to 24-22 at the break.

Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) and Hughes each had four first half points for the Crusaders, while Kristen Hetsko had 10 for USMMA. Susquehanna shot 34.5 percent from the floor while limiting the Mariners to 29.6 percent shooting. The Crusaders forced 13 turnovers while committing only six.

Both teams struggled to connect on shots in the first three minutes of the second half. Courtney Thibeault’s (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) jumper at the 16:52 mark opened up scoring and gave SU a 26-22 lead. A basket by Kaitlin Mulgrew sparked Merchant Marine to go on a 16-4 run over a nine minute stretch to achieve the largest advantage of the game, 45-33, with just under five minutes remaining in regulation. Susquehanna was unable to counter the attack and scored five of its last 10 points at foul line. USMMA closed out the victory at the free throw line, scoring its final five points at the stripe.

Susquehanna held Hetsko, the league’s fourth leading scorer (14.1 ppg), scorless in the second half to finish with just 10 points on the night. Stephanie Waller and Hannah Eko also added 10 points apiece.

SU will travel to Madison, NJ tomorrow to square off with Drew University for a 2 p.m. tipoff.

Susquehanna loses a heartbraker to Catholic in the game's final seconds Box Score

SELINSGROVE, PA. – Leading for the first 15 minutes of the game, things were looking good for the Crusaders; however, a Catholic jumper with nine seconds of play remaining was enough to give the Cardinals a 59-58 win at the O.W. Houts Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.

Susquehanna’s first four baskets came from four various players, as the back-and-forth action tipped off Landmark Conference action between the Crusaders and Cardinals. At 9:54 a Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) jumper gave Susquehanna their largest lead of the game with five, 18-13. Before long, the Cardinals worked their way back and managed to go ahead 23-22 at 4:27 on a pair of free throws.

The action remained ruthless closing out the first half with a two point Catholic advantage, 31-29.

The Cardinals opened strong in the second stint to jump ahead by eight at 11:25 and continued to go ahead by as many as nine at 9:08. The Crusaders responded unleashing a 9-0 run to tie the game at 48 apiece with 5:29 remaining on the clock.

With foul shots swishing left and right, the Cardinals kept their heads above water keeping at most a two-possession lead over the hosting orange and maroon. It was at 1:21 that a Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) layup followed by a Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) block in the Cardinal’s paint brought the Crusader fans and bench to their feet.

The Susquehanna women worked their way down the court to find McNallen open for a jumper with 23 precious seconds of time remaining on the clock. The Crusaders went ahead by one, 58-57.

Despite the heroic Crusader comeback, the Cardinals dished the ball inside to Brianna Peterson who missed a jumper but was able to rebound her shot and win the game on a put-back at 00:09.

Susquehanna was granted a timeout with 5.7 seconds lingering and formulated a play allowing freshman Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) to get a baseline shot off. The bounce around the rim was not favorable to Barron, and time expired as the ball bounced from fingertip to fingertip and ended with Catholic in possession.

For the third straight game, the Crusaders were led by Hughes who scored 17, McNallen was next in line with 12 points and eight boards. For the Cardinals, Peterson scored a game-high 21 points and made seven rebounds.

The Cardinal basket with nine seconds remaining granted them a victory improving their overall season record to 9-13 (4-7 Landmark), while the Crusaders dropped to 12-10 overall (5-6) on their season.

"Thinking Pink" the Crusaders beat the Gophers 81-54 Box Score

SELINSGROVE, PA. – Wearing pink shoelaces while the referees blew florescent pink whistles, the Susquehanna women’s basketball team was “Thinking Pink” amidst their 81-54 win over Landmark Conference opponent, Goucher College.

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association sponsored a nation-wide “Think Pink” day on Saturday to raise money for breast cancer research. The women’s basketball team gathered over $350 as the bleachers filled with pink shirts.

In route to their highest scoring game of the season, Susquehanna opened the game with nine unanswered points tipped off by an Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) three pointer. Despite the Gophers breaking into scoring at 16:05, the Crusaders were able to keep them at a distance to lead 38-21 at the half.

In the second half, Susquehanna continued to run away with the game sinking 43 points. Goucher put up a strong effort to keep within comeback range until the final five minutes hit. Another Barron three backed by a Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) three at 4:56 gave the Crusaders a 20 point lead.

The pink-laced orange and maroon squad would score 15 down the final stretch, five of which came off the tips of sophomore Renae Marshall (Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg Area) to improve to 12-9 overall (5-5 Landmark), while the Gophers fell to 7-13 overall (2-8 Landmark).

Leading the entire game, Susquehanna placed three in double digits. Freshman Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) led with 17 points, while Val Houseal (Harleysville , Pa. /Souderton) added 12 and Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) 10. Goucher’s eight-woman squad was led by Shadae Swan with 22 points.

The Crusaders shot 48 percent from the field and 81 percent from the charity stripe, while the Gophers converted on 33 percent of their field goals and 70 percent from the line.

Scranton's fast start too much for Susquehanna to overcome Box Score

SCRANTON, PA - A quick lead led to a win for the Susquehanna women's basketball team Friday night, but Scranton turned the tables with their own hot start Saturday to take the 57-73 win in Landmark Conference action.

The Royals (14-5, 8-1 Landmark Conference) jumped out to an 11-point lead in the first three and a half minutes and led by that same margin at the half. The Crusaders (11-9, 4-5 Landmark Conference) regrouped to start the second half, pulling within four twice, but could not sustain the momentum.

Scranton had four players in double figures as Ryan Mooney led the way with 17. Megan Kopecki had 14 points and eight assists.

For the Crusaders, Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) and Samantha Jansson (Cumbola, Pa./Nativity BVM) led the way with 14 points apiece. Courtney Thibeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) added seven and a team-leading five rebounds. Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) dished out four assists.

Crusaders kick off second-round of conference play with a win Box Score

BETHLEHEM, PA - Jumping off to a commanding 14-1 lead, the Crusaders tipped off second-round Landmark Conference action with a 57-49 win on the road Friday night at Moravian College.

Susquehanna's scoring streak began with a Val Houseal (Harleysville , Pa. /Souderton) layup 52 seconds into the game and continued for seven straight minutes. Guard LaToya Blake put Moravian on the scoreboard hitting a foul shot at 17:26. 

Moravian was able to find their groove and come within six points of the Crusaders at 4:25, but Susquehanna would not have that. Lindsey Berzins (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) closed out the half scoring six straight.

At the break, Susquehanna held a 32-20 advantage, unlike during their first match-up when the Greyhounds held a 40-31 lead at the end of the first. Aiding in the orange and maroon first-stint dominance was a field goal shooting percentage of 45.8, while Moravian only managed to sink 12.5 percent of their attempts.

Houseal led first-half statistics with eight points while also grabbing five rebounds. In addition, Leigh Henderson ( Selinsgrove , Pa. /Selinsgrove) made the most of her first half minutes off the bench scoring seven straight points to help Susquehanna contain the Greyhounds.

The Hounds opened scoring in the second with a good jumper, only to be followed by an Erika Barron ( Tamaqua , Pa. /Tamaqua) three.

Following multiple back-and-forth possessions, both teams went on a temporary shooting drought in the midst of the second. Kirsty Stearns of Moravian sunk a basket at 10:01 that Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) followed with a quick jumper from the top of the key to end the drought. The game quickly jumped to a 45-40 contest with 7:27 remaining in the contest.

After getting into early foul trouble, committing five in the same time that the Hounds were charged with not one, the Crusaders found themselves over-the-limit holding a 10-2 edge on fouls with 6:55 remaining in the contest.

With the clock counting down, Moravian brought the score within two at 3:43 with a good foul shot off the fingertips of Blake.

A reversal lay-up by Hughes on the three-minute dot, brought the game back to a two-possession contest. Hughes struck again at the 1:10 minute mark to pull away by six, however Moravian responded immediately to bring the game to 51-47 Susquehanna.

Moravian fouled seven times in the final minute of action sending the Crusaders to the line multiple times. The charity stripe granted Susquehanna breathing room down the home stretch en route to their fourth conference win.

Leading the way for Susquehanna, Berzins had 11, while Houseal and Hughes followed with ten apiece. Alyssa Bisci led the game with 14 points and 14 rebounds to match, while Jessica Foran added 13 points for the Hounds.

With the win the Crusaders improved to 11-8 overall and 4-4 in the Landmark, while the Hounds fell to 12-7 overall, 5-3 in the conference.

Second-half run gives Crusaders win Box Score

TOWSON, Md. – Goucher College held a one-point lead at the half, but Susquehanna University went on a 16-0 run to open up the second half, then held the Gophers to 19 points to take the 61-49 win in women's basketball action Sunday afternoon.

Susquehanna (10-8, 3-4 Landmark Conference) earned a split for the weekend, while the Gophers (7-10, 2-5 Landmark Conference) dropped their second game of the weekend.

The Crusaders were led by Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) with 11 points, nine rebounds, six assists and six steals. Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) added 11 points off the bench, while Courtney Thibeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) had 12 rebounds.

Goucher's Shadae Swan had 22 points, her seventh-straight game with 20 points or better.

As a team, Susquehanna had 14 steals on the game, and out-rebounded the Gophers 45-37.

Crusaders Suffer Road Loss to Catholic University Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Crusaders (9-8, 2-4 LC) were paced by Rachel Hughes' (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) 14 points, as they fell for the second straight time in Landmark Conference play to the Cardinals (7-9, 2-4 LC) of Catholic University on Saturday evening at Dufour Center. Susquehanna is back in action tomorrow afternoon to face Goucher College in Baltimore, MD.

Both teams were held scoreless until the 16:56 mark when Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) hit a trey from the top of the key to give the visiting Crusaders a 3-0 lead. The Cardinals then scored five unanswered points with a pair of free throws from Lauren McPeak and a triple by Brianna Peterson. SU and CUA battled back-and-forth throughout the opening period.

Hughes converted a layup to cut the deficit to one, 22-21, with just under 30 seconds to play in the half. However, an SU foul as time expired put CUA’s Peterson to the line. She converted both free throws and gave her team a 24-21 edge heading into intermission.

The lead changed hands five times in the first stint as SU struggled to connect on its shots, shooting only 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from the floor. Hughes led the Crusaders with six points on 3-of-4 (75 percent) shooting from the field. CUA hit on 8-of-26 attempts from the field and went 7-for-9 (77.8 percent) from the charity stripe.

A layup by Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) in the first minute opened up scoring for the half. However, CUA’s Jessica Schiavonia fast break layup sparked a 12-4 run to give the Cardinals its largest advantage of the game, 39-29, with just a little over eight minutes to play in regulation. Catholic led by as many as 13 points at the 9:12 mark before Susquehanna rattled off six unanswered points capped by a Lindsey Berzin (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) layup to cut the deficit to seven, 44-37, with just under 7:30 remaining. Despite the attempt at a comeback, The Cardinals would never relinquish their comfortable advantage.

For the game, Hughes hit on 5-of-9 (55.5 percent) shots, and was 4-for-5 from the foul line. Barron and Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) each chipped in with six points. McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) collected a team-high six boards. CUA was led by Peterson’s game-high 24 points. McPeak added 12 points, nine rebounds, and a game-best five blocks. Kate Robinson led her team on the boards with 10.

As a team, the Crusaders were plagued by 20 turnovers and struggled to connect on field attempts. They finished the game shooting 27.3 percent and had a season-low six assists as they fell to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in Landmark play. CUA was 38.9 percent from the field and held a 42-39 edge on the glass to improve to 7-9 overall and 2-4 in the Landmark.

SU will face Goucher tomorrow in the first game of the double-header. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

Second-half shooting woes doom Crusaders Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Cold second-half shooting doomed the Susquehanna University women's basketball team to a conference loss to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, 67-59, on Saturday.

The Crusaders (9-7, 2-3 Landmark) held a 39-35 lead at halftime, thanks in part to seven three-pointers. But their shooting dropped off dramatically in the second half, as they hit only two of 11 three-point attempts and shot 25.8 percent overall, allowing the Mariners (9-5, 2-3 Landmark) to storm back for the win.

Merchant Marine opened the game with a quick eight-point run, til Susquehanna got on the board with threes from Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) (left) and Courtney Thibeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan). Two more treys from Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) and one from Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) kept the Crusaders close. Another Barron three at the 4:05 mark gave Susquehanna its first lead.

The lead seesawed for the next two minutes until Barron uncorked one more three-pointer for a four-point Crusader lead, which built up to as many as eight before Merchant Marine pulled within four again at the half.

Both teams came out slow after intermission, trading turnovers and missed shots until Morgan Gartner went to the line for the Mariners at 16:49. Neither team could get a grip on the lead over the next 10 minutes, as they tied things up three times before Merchant Marine jumped ahead by two at the 6:49 mark and carried it out from there.

Barron led the Crusaders with 15 points, also tallying four assists and two steals. Susquehanna's bench outscored Merchant Marines', 29-8, with 14 of those coming from Henderson. Samantha Cartwright (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) was another strong part of the bench effort, pulling down nine rebounds.

Susquehanna captures conference win with a 66-57 victory over Drew Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – In a conference game that was knotted on nine various occasions during the first 28 minutes of play, Susquehanna fought strong in the final 12 to capture a 66-57 win in the O.W. Houts Gymnasium.

The Crusaders (9-6, 2-2 LC) fell behind 5-0 in the opening three minutes, but followed up with a 10-0 run topped off by a three point play by leading Susquehanna scorer Rachel Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill).

The Rangers responded by drilling seven points of their own which led to a back-and-forth stretch of play. Senior guard Allison Hartnett buried a three in the final seconds of the first stint to give the visiting Rangers a 28-24 lead at the half.

Fresh out of the locker room, Susquehanna inbounded the ball to find Val Houseal (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) for a pair of her 14 total points. After a couple back-to-back baskets, Houseal would strike again to tie the game for the eighth time which led to a dominating Crusader conclusion.

At 12:22, a good jumper from Jessica Reid to tie the game at 37 apiece proved to be the Rangers’ final grasp at the lead.

Susquehanna pulled away in the final quarter of play to lead by as many as 10 points when freshman point-guard Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) hit a three off a Hughes assist. The Crusaders swished five from the charity stripe to close out the Landmark match up with a 66-57 win.

Hartnett dominated the scoreboard with 30 points and eight boards for her Rangers, while Hughes came off the bench to lead the Crusaders with 18 as Houseal followed with 14. Nearing double-doubles, Barron sunk 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds while senior Bri McNallen scored nine and grabbed 11 boards.

The Rangers edged Susquehanna with a 46-41 percent shooting margin; however 22 Ranger turnovers allowed for 17 orange and maroon points in comparison to Drew’s 6 points off of Susquehanna’s 16 turnovers.

Crusaders drop second Landmark game, 83-74 to Moravian Box Score

SELINSGROVE, PA -- The first weekend of back-to-back Landmark Conference games was not friendly to the Susquehanna University women's basketball team, as it dropped a second-straight game Saturday. The Crusaders lost to Moravian, 83-74, to fall to 1-2 in conference play.

Neither team scored until almost two minutes into the game when Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) hit a layup. Courtney Thiebeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) would follow with a jumper for an early Crusader lead, but the Greyhounds would respond with back-to-back layups by Jessica Foran.

The two teams would volley the lead back and forth for the next few minutes, until Moravian pulled ahead at the 10:12 mark. They would hold the advantage through the rest of the half for a 40-31 lead at intermission.

The Greyhounds came out firing after the break and extended their lead to 13 in the first two minutes. They would jump ahead by as many as 17, but the Crusaders kept battling back. Val Houseal (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) hit consecutive layups around the 13-minute mark to pull Susquehanna within nine.

After Moravian rebuilt their lead to 19, the Crusader bench chipped the lead back down with six points in two minutes from Nikki Schneck (Cresco, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) and a big trey from Samantha Jansson (Cumbola, Pa./Nativity BVM) that cut the deficit to seven and had the Crusader faithful roaring with hope. Two more jumpers from Schneck and Jansson and Susquehanna was only down three with 2:08 to play.

In the end, Jessica Foran was the dagger in the Crusaders' hearts, as she hit a quick layup and eight straight free throws in the closing minutes to cap off a 30-point performance and the Moravian win.

Schneck led the Crusaders with 15 points, followed by Thibeault with 12. Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) and Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) scooped up six rebounds apiece and Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) dished out nine assists.

Susquehanna falls to Scranton 57-69 Box Score

SELINSGROVE, PA -- The Crusader women's basketball team suffered their first Landmark Conference loss Friday evening against visiting Scranton. The Lady Royals capitalized on an eight point half time lead to remain victorious over the Crusaders 69-57 in O.W. Houts Gymnasium.

After bantering back and forth in the opening minutes of play, the Lady Royals jumped ahead to a commanding 15 point lead by means of a Ryan Mooney three pointer at 8:18 in the first. The Crusaders responded by outscoring the visiting Royals 16-9 to trail 29-37 at the half.

Susquehanna welcomed the second stint of action with two free throws from the hands of Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) followed by a 3-pointer by freshman guard Ericka Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area). In doing so, the Crusaders quickly diminished the Lady Royals’ eight-point lead and trailed by only two, 38-36, with 18 minutes remaining. Megan Kopecki then scored seven of Scranton's points during a 13-2 rally to extend their lead to 13, 51-38, with 13:51 left.

The Lady Royals maintained a steady double-digit lead amidst the next nine minutes before the Crusaders were able to weaken it to seven, 59-52, with 4:38 left. As the game clock dwindled, Susquehanna committed foul after foul with hopes of winning back the ball. Despite the efforts of the orange and maroon, Scranton connected 8 of 11 tosses from the charity stripe in the final 2:45 to seal the victory.

Hughes came off-the-bench to tally a game-high 16 points, while senior co-captain Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) (right) finished next in line for the Crusaders with 13. Mooney led the Lady Royals with 15 points, being held to just three in the second period. Teammates Kathleen Daly and Kopecki followed closely with 13 and 12 respectively.

Scranton both outshot (43-36%) and outrebounded (38-31) the Crusaders in route to their win.

Crusaders win first game of the new year 54-44 Box Score

CLARKS SUMMIT, PA -- The Susquehanna women's basketball team welcomed 2008 play with a 54-44 win over Baptist Bible College on Monday evening.

Starting their entire senior squad, the Crusaders jumped off to a strong start and never looked back. In the midst of the first period, a layup by freshman Rachael Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) hit off a 9-0 run. The Lady Defenders shot merely 17 percent in the opening half allowing the Crusaders to dominate and carry a 25-10 lead into the locker room.

The Lady Defenders' shooting woes ended 21 seconds into the second session with a layup that led to a 7-0 Baptist Bible run. The Crusaders soon regained their composure and again compiled a steady double digit lead.

After trailing by as many as 17 in the first, Baptist Bible fought back to come within seven with 3:10 left on the clock; however strong shooting from the charity stripe assured the Crusaders a victory in the final moments.

Defender Naomi Sweeney led the game with 12 points and eight rebounds, followed closely by teammate Liz Bole netting 11. Courtney Thibeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) and Samantha Jansson (Cumbola, Pa./Nativity BVM) led Susquehanna in points with seven apiece. Five Crusaders followed with six each, proving the team's depth.

Susquehanna revealed its strong pine-presence with 31 of the team's 54 points coming from bench. The Crusaders (8-4) edged the Defenders (5-3) with a 32-29 percent field goal margin.

Crusaders hold a steady lead to capture a 68-55 win over Purchase Box Score

PHEONIX, Ariz. – On Sunday afternoon the Crusader women's basketball team concluded tournament play at the Grand Canyon Classic with a 68-55 win over Purchase College.

Susquehanna earned themselves a lead early which they successfully held for the entirety of the game. Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) hit a jumper one minute into play which sparked a 10-0 opening run. It ended at the 16 minute mark when the Panthers broke the silence with a good field goal putting them on the board.

Susquehanna held strong throughout the remainder of the first half leading by as many as 20 and as few as nine. A good three-pointer by Ashley Watkins (La Habra Heights, Calif./Fullerton C.C.) with 41 seconds on the clock gave the Crusaders a 36-20 lead at intermission.

The Panthers prowled through the opening minutes of the second period making an 8-0 run to cut the Crusader's lead in half. Senior co-captain Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) responded with a three-pointer only to be matched by a successful behind-the-arc shot from a Purchase jersey. The Panthers fought to dwindle Susquehanna's lead to two with 11:59 of play remaining; however freshman Rachael Hughes drained a three-pointer to secure a two-possession game shortly thereafter.

Susquehanna pulled ahead in the remaining minutes to win the game 68-55. Watkins tied with Purchase's Jennifer Danio for a game-high 15 points as fellow Crusaders Samantha Jansson (Cumbola, Pa./Nativity BVM) (12 points), Henderson (10 points) and Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) (9 points) followed close behind.

With the victory the Crusaders improved to 7-4 on their season, while the Panthers fell to 5-6 overall.

Crusaders fall one short at Grand Canyon Classic Box Score

PHEONIX, Ariz. – The Susquehanna women’s basketball team fell by one, 52-51, to The College of Staten Island on Saturday in the opening round of the 2007 Grand Canyon Classic.

The back-and-forth affair started with three lead changes and three ties throughout the game's first seven minutes. Susquehanna made a 16-7 run to extend to a game-high 25-15 lead with 4:39 to go in the first period. However, CSI responded with a 9-0 run of their own to end the period 25-24, cutting the Crusader lead to just one at the half.

Susquehanna retained the lead for the first four minutes of the second stint until the Dolphins took the lead by one with 16:16 lingering on the game clock. CSI held the upper end of scoring until Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) converted a pair of free throws to knot the game at 37 with 9:17 remaining.

The game ended in a dramatic manner with three ties and four lead changes in the final minutes. The Crusaders took a 51-50 lead by means of an Ashley Watkins (La Habra Heights, Calif./Fullerton C.C.) free-throw with 1:09 remaining. The Dolphins would then commit an offensive foul allowing the Crusaders possession of the ball with 51 seconds remaining. However, an orange and maroon turnover merely two seconds later would decide the fate of the game.

With Susquehanna holding a one point advantage, CSI junior Megan Sullivan buried a jumper with 23 seconds left to grant the Dolphins a 52-51 lead and victory. The Crusaders fought to get off a desperation three-pointer with two seconds remaining but the shot was no good therefore preserving the CSI victory.

Watkins led the game with 19 points and two steals while Nicole Estrada tallied 15 points for CSI and Kristen Panariello added 10. The teams combined to shoot just 36-108 from the field.

The win upped the Dolphins' overall mark to 7-3, while Susquehanna fell to 6-4.

Susquehanna dominates second half to defeat Richard Stockton, 70-57 Box Score

SELINSGROVE, PA – Three Crusaders place in double figures as SU (6-3) pulls off a victory over visiting Richard Stockton (5-3) on Saturday afternoon at O.W. Houts Gymnasium.

Sophomore Samantha Jansson (Cumbola, Pa./Nativity BVM) paced the Crusaders with 18 points from off the bench on 6-of-10 (60 percent) shooting from the field. Senior Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) contributed 12 points, while fellow classmate Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) tallied 10 points 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) shooting from the field. Freshman Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) chipped in with seven points, two assists, and three steals.

The beginning of the first half was relatively quiet as both teams were held scoreless until an Osprey free throw at the 18:57 mark. Henderson’s jumper at 17:24 gave SU its first points of the game, and subsequently sparked an 8-0 scoring run. Both teams exchanged baskets until the Crusaders netted 10 unanswered points to achieve its largest advantage of the half, 18-9, with just over five minutes remaining in the first period.  SU held a 27-21 edge heading into the lockerroom.

Susquehanna forced 10 turnovers in the first half, and held Stockton’s leading scorer, Jenn Russell (11.8 ppg), to only two points. The Crusaders were 11-of-30 (36.7 percent) from the field while the Ospreys were 8-of-15 (53.3 percent).

Richard Stockton opened up the second half by scoring two quick baskets. A pair of free- throws by Stockton’s Russell would give the Ospreys’ its first advantage, 28-27, since the opening minutes of the first half.

The Ospreys held Susquehanna scoreless until the 16:40 mark, when Williams connected on a jumper to regain the lead and open up scoring for the Crusaders. SU went on a 6-0 run in the next minute and a half to gain a 36-28 advantage. Stockton responded by going on a 6-0 run of its own to achieve its first lead since the start of the second half.

Susquehanna scored 12 unanswered points to pull away from Stockton to gain the first double digit lead of the game, 55-44, with just over four minutes to play in regulation. The Ospreys were unable to counter the attack and the Crusaders kept a comfortable double digit lead to close out the second period.

For Richard Stockton, senior Lisa Neira led all scorers with a game-high 19 points. Freshman Kelley Guarrera tallied 14 points, and Russell contributed 10 points. The Ospreys committed 25 turnovers for the game while falling to 5-3 on the season.

The Crusaders outscored Stockton 36-43 in the second half to cruise to a 57-70 win. They were 14-of-16 (87.5 percent) from the charity stripe in the second half, and 19-of-23 (82.6 percent) for the game.  SU had 40 total bench points, and converted 21 points off turnovers, while improving to 6-3 on the season.

Susquehanna will be off for 13 days before resuming play against the College of Staten Island on Saturday Dec. 29 at the Grand Canyon Classic. Opening tip for the away contest is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Susquehanna stymied by Wilkes, 65-42 Box Score

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Susquehanna women's basketball team suffered a road loss to Wilkes University, 65-42, Saturday afternoon in Wilkes-Barre.

The Crusaders shot only 22.4 percent from the field for the game, only hitting one of 23 shots from three-point range.  Wilkes also held a 61-35 rebounding advantage.

Wilkes held only a three-point advantage at halftime, and the opening minutes of the second half were a back-and-forth battle, with the Crusaders taking a 32-31 lead on a Samantha Jansson (Cumbola, Pa./Nativity BVM) basket.

The Lady Colonels then responded with a 9-0 run that would give them the lead for good. Susquehanna pulled within six twice, but the Wilkes then went on a 13-2 run that iced the game.

For Susquehanna, Ashley Watkins (La Habra Heights, Calif./Fullerton C.C.) was the leading scorer with 10 points, while  Jansson finished with eight. Courtney Thibeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) and Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) added five rebounds apiece and Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) dished out three assists.

Susquehanna downs Lycoming 71-59 Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Thursday evening Susquehanna defeated local rival Lycoming College in non-conference basketball action 71-59.

Susquehanna tipped off a strong lead making an 8-2 opening run. The Lady Warriors fought back and took the lead on a good layup by Alicia Engler with 11:20 remaining on the first period clock.

The Crusaders responded with 11 consecutive points coming from a variety of sources to regain the lead 19-18 at 8:47. Their lead would remain through the final buzzer to give the Crusaders their fifth win of the season (5-2) as Lycoming dropped to 4-3 overall.

Stepping onto the court for the second shift of action, the Crusaders ultimately upped the ante of the game by increasing its tempo. The momentum change was obvious to spectators as the orange and maroon held a steady, double-digit lead for most of the session.

Susquehanna played 11 of their 16 total squad-members confirming a strong-bench presence. Led by Val Houseal's (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) 19 points, the Crusaders placed four in double figures. Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) and Rachel Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) followed with 11 apiece, as Ashley Watkins (La Habra Heights, Calif./Fullerton C.C.) tallied 10 points. In addition, Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) controlled the game from the point making nine assists while also pulling down nine defensive rebounds.

Andrea Cooper and Kaitlyn Ober each finished with 17 points leading the game for the Lady Warriors. Engler also contributed 10.

The Crusaders successfully knocked down 47 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, while the Warriors shot just over 32 percent with 20 percent accuracy on three-point attempts.

Crusaders fall in final minutes to Blue Jays Box Score

SELINSGROVE, PA – Despite senior co-captain Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) making a 9-0 Susquehanna run aiding in a tied game with 3:21 remaining, the Crusaders fell to visiting Elizabethtown College 70-64 on Tuesday evening.

The Blue Jays shot one hundred percent from the charity stripe in the final minute hitting six foul shots to break a 64-64 tie and earn their third win of the season (3-2), dropping the Crusaders to 4-2.

The Crusaders looked strong early, leading the non-conference game for the first 13 minutes of action. It was at 6:34 that Blue Jay Kaity Snyder capitalized on a Susquehanna turnover and layed in the ball for Elizabethtown's first lead of the game. The Blue Jays would remain on-top and take a 40-26 lead into the locker room at the half.

Elizabethtown led 59-45 with 9:38 remaining in the contest, but a 15-1 Susquehanna run knotting the game at 60 got the Crusaders back within winning range.

The visitors restored their lead with two successful foul shots by Megan Romano with 3:06 remaining. Freshman Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) responded making a strong drive and converting a layup to tie the game 62-62. Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) followed with two additional orange and maroon points giving Susquehanna their second and final lead of the game at 64-62.

Susquehanna would commit two fatal turnovers in the final stages of the game, helping Elizabethtown to make an 8-0 run to win the game by six, 70-64.

Both teams finished with multiple double-digit scorers. The Crusaders were led by McNallen's 13 points and five boards. Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) added 11 points while Barron finished with 10 points and four assists.

The Blue Jay's Megan Quinn and Snyder tied with game highs of 14 points a piece. Romano added 12 points while Audrey Hitz posted 10 points and 15 rebounds for the win.

Crusaders open up conference play with a victory - Box Score

HUNTINGDON, PA – Susquehanna University women’s basketball improved to 4-1 on the season with a 73-67 victory over conference foe Juniata College on Saturday Dec. 1. This win also marks the 60th career victory for third year head coach Jim Reed.

The Crusaders were paced by freshman Erica Barron’s (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) impressive 20 point performance. Senior Val Houseal (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) also scored in double figures, finishing with 19 points. Senior forward Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) added a game-best 10 rebounds.

The Eagles led by as much as five points in the first half before The Crusaders would take a 17-16 lead with a triple by Houseal, and two free-throws by freshman Rachel Hughes (Gordon, Pa./North Schuylkill) at the 7:30 mark. The score was knotted twice before Juniata took a seven point advantage, 35-28, leading into intermission.

Susquehanna’s senior Courtney Thibeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) opened up second-half scoring with a lay-up. The Crusaders grabbed the lead for good by a three pointer from Barron. The Eagles would cut the margin down to a one-possession game on a couple of occasions, but Susquehanna slowly pulled away over the remainder of the second half. The Crusaders’ lead reached its widest margin at 10 points, 70-60, with just 44 seconds remaining, following a pair of converted foul shots by Barron.

Four Eagles finished in double-digits, led by freshman Jen Hnatuck’s 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Junior Claudia McDowell scored 12 points, while senior Jill Walsh and fellow classmate Mindy Werner chipped in with 10 points in the losing cause.

Susquehanna shot 21-of-53 (39.6 percent) from the field and hit 7-of-17 (41.2 percent) from three-point land while improving to 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in the Landmark Conference. Juniata shot 26-of-53 (49.1 percent) from the field, and committed 20 turnovers while falling to 3-2 on the season and 0-1 in league play.

Crusaders triumph over Chestnut Hill Box Score

PHILIDELPHIA, PA – The Susquehanna University women’s basketball earned its first road victory on Wednesday evening, 56-51, against Chestnut Hill College. SU placed three players in double figures, while six others also scored for the Crusaders. Susquehanna women’s basketball team takes to the road again on Saturday afternoon to open up conference play against Juniata.

Chestnut Hill (2-2) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening minutes of the game.  A triple by senior Courtney Thibeault (Brielle, N.J./Manasquan) in the first five minutes of play would spark Susquehanna (3-1) to go on 12-2 run to take a 15-8 advantage halfway through the first period.

Highlighted by sophomore Samantha Jansson’s (Cumbola, Pa./Nativity BVM) jumper, the Crusaders would achieve their largest lead of the game with just under three minutes left in the half. However, the Griffins scored six unanswered points to close out the period, cutting the lead to four and the score to 25-29.

Chestnut Hill’s sophomore Jenna Beck would open up the second half with a layup. Susquehanna would respond on the next two possessions with a layup from senior Val Houseal (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) and a jumper from Thibeault.  The Griffins countered the attack with three back-to-back baskets, knotting the score at 33-33 in the opening six minutes of the second period.

Both teams exchanged baskets throughout the half, tying the score for the third time with just a little over five minutes left in regulation. A good free-throw by sophomore Ashley Watkins (La Habra Heights, Calif./Fullerton C.C.) would give the Crusaders a one point edge and ultimately keep them ahead for the rest of the game. With the Crusaders leading by three, Chestnut’s sophomore Carley Glass attempted to send the game into overtime with a three point attempt during the last 10 seconds of the game. A pair of foul shots by Thibeault in the remaining seconds of the game would seal the victory for Susquehanna.

Jansson and Watkins both paced the Crusaders with 11 points. Jansson also added a team-best six rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes of action, while Watkins had two assists and four steals. Thibeault also placed in double-figures, contributing 10 points on the night. Freshman point-guard Erica Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) added five assists and a game-high five steals in the win.

Chestnut Hill senior Tara Walsh led her team with 11 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Jenna Beck contributed eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Susquehanna shot 18-of-54 (33.3 percent) from the field in the and hit 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) from three-point land. They converted on 16-of-24 (66.7 percent) free throws and committed 14 turnovers while improving to 3-1 on the season. Chestnut Hill shot 21-of-59 (35.6 percent) from the field, hit 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from behind the arc, and committed 24 turnovers while falling to 2-2 on the season.

Last-second free throw lances Crusaders Box Score

ASTON, Pa. -- Susquehanna carried a one-point lead into the locker rooms at halftime, but one point the other way would be the difference as the Crusaders fell to Neumann College, 48-47. The Knights took their season opener on a dramatic last-second free throw by Ashley Pearsall.

After a back-and-forth first half that ended with Susquehanna ahead, 19-18, but Neumann got off to a quick start in the second half, going on a six-point run. The Crusaders answered with a run of their own and knotted the score back up at 26-all, then the Knights responded to go up by two.

The Knights and the Crusaders would battle through four tie scores throughout the second half, but the Knights would not give up the lead. The most important tie came with 1:04 remaining in the game as Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) made a layup to tie the score at 47.

With the last possession of the game for Neumann, Pearsall drove down the lane and was fouled with 1.1 seconds left on the clock. She missed her first free throw, but connected on the second to give the Knights a 48-47 lead that would be the final result.

Susquehanna was led by Samantha Jansson (Cumbola, Pa./Nativity BVM), with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Val Houseal (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) added 10 points and Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) had four assists.

Crusaders win 12th-ever Pepsi/Weis Markets Tip-Off Tournament Box Score

SELINGROVE, PA -- The Crusaders emerged victorious in a close defensive battle against the Soaring Eagles of Elmira College by a final score of 55-53.

Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) scored a lay up with 31 seconds remaining in the game, putting the Crusaders out in front by five. Bri McNallen (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) committed a foul with 18 seconds remaining that sent Mary Symonds to the line for two shots. Symonds made her first attempt but missed the second shot, and McNallen brought down the rebound.

The Eagles scored a lay up at the final buzzer, but the two points were too late as the game ended with Susquehanna winning by a margin of two points.

Elmira had a share of the lead for the first 15:23 of the game, as the score either favored the Soaring Eagles or was tied.

From that point on, Susquehanna had a share of the lead or was ahead, and the game ended on that trend.

Sophomore Ashley Watkins (La Habra Heights, Calif./Fullerton C.C.) provided a huge game coming off of the bench, contributing a game-high 18 points.

Ruth Williamson (State College, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) added some spark off of the bench, scoring 11 points in just 16 minutes of action.

McNallen snagged a team-high 12 rebounds, including 10 offensive.

Both teams committed a plethora of turnovers with the majority of them coming off of traveling violations. The Crusaders had 26 total turnovers while the Soaring Eagles had 33.

Barron led both teams in steals with five.

Watkins' stellar performance in the championship game earned her a spot on the Pepsi/Weis Markets Tip-Off Tournament All-Tournament Team.

Williamson received the honor of the tournament's MVP with her strong play in both games. She scored 14 in the semifinal game against Lake Erie and 11 in the championship game against Elmira.

Crusaders clinch spot in championship with OT win Box Score

SELINGROVE, PA -- With high hopes of following in the footsteps of the Susquehanna men's team and taking the tournament championship, the Crusader women's basketball team opened Saturday night headed in that direction.

Winning the first round game against the Storm of Lake Erie College, the women followed those steps of the men's to the tee; a seven point win in overtime bidding them a place in the following day, 3 p.m. championship.

Lake Erie got off to a strong start, opening the game with an 8-0 scoring run. Susquehanna fought throughout the first to come within one point numerous times but was unable to find the chemistry needed to pull ahead. The Storm led 36-31 at the half, to which Susquehanna responded with a 30-35 second half edge to lead to the third period of action.

With 7:04 remaining in the contest, Ruth Williamson (State College, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) found what the Crusaders needed. She brought the crowd to their feet with a flawless three pointer to give the home team their first lead of the game. Williamson's beyond-the-arch swish was enough to award Susquehanna the lead, or an occasional tie if you will, for the next 12 minutes of action.

The remaining minutes of regulation were action packed. Susquehanna led by five at 4:58. Slowly the Storm dwindled that lead. A good layup followed by a successful and-one by Alyssa Wagers was enough to tie the game at 60 all; 2:53 remaining.

Again, the Crusaders managed to creep ahead; however, the margin this time was only worth three. With 13 seconds of regulation lingering, Angela Bethel drowned a three pointer for the Storm, sending the game to an additional five minutes.

Haunted by five overtime turnovers, Lake Erie was unable to advance past the Crusaders. Susquehanna pulled away in the final minutes, completing six of seven free throws, to earn themselves a spot in the championship game.

Leigh Henderson (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove) recorded an impressive game-high 17 points for the orange and maroon. Following close behind was fellow senior Val Houseal (Harleysville, PA/Souderton) with 16 points and four solid blocks.

Lake Erie was led by Wagers with 14 points and closely followed by Jalisa Mitchell and Bethel with 13 a piece.

The Crusaders will play Elmira College Sunday, November 18 at 3 p.m. for the Tip-off Tournament Championship. The storm will face Delaware Valley in the consolation game at 1 p.m. in O.W. Houts Gymnasium.