The Lady Royals, ranked 3rd by D3hoops.com, led by only six, 37-31, with 11:40 remaining before junior forwards Michelle Fabio (Brick, N.J./St. Rose) and Kathleen Daly (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) jump-started a game-breaking 12-2 run with that included back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Taryn Mellody (Dunmore, Pa./Bishop O’Hara) and junior guard Julie Brophy (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) with a pair of lay-ups as Scranton extended its lead to a comfortable 16-point margin, 49-33, with 8:38 remaining. Lehman College managed only 10 points the rest of the way to put the wraps on a 19-10 season.
Mellody finished with a game-high 24 points and seven rebounds and Fabio had eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds as the Lady Royals won their 62nd consecutive home game to improve to 26-2 overall and move into Saturday evening’s second-round game against Hamilton College, which defeated Mount Saint Mary College (NY), 58-55, in the other first-round game at the Long Center.
Sophomore forward Sally Nnamani (New York, N.Y./Warwick Valley) led Lehman College, with 13 points and senior guard Katherine Santiago (Washington Heights, N.Y./Norman Thomas) added 11 points.
Neither team was able to generate much offense in the first-half. Mellody scored six points in the final four minutes of the first-half as the Lady Royals managed to squeeze out a 26-18 lead by intermission, despite making only 8 of 33 field goal attempts (24.2 percent). The Lightning also struggled from the field, connecting on only 5 of 24 shots and was out-rebounded by a 27-16 margin in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Lehman did manage to cut the lead to two, 30-28, on a lay-up by Nnamani with 13:55 remaining. Senior guard Allison Matt (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) then hit three straight free throws and Mellody answered with back-to-back baskets as Scranton stretched its lead to nine, 37-28. Nnamani hit a 3-pointer to make it a two-possession game before the Lady Royals kicked it in gear to put the game away.
Scranton out-rebounded Lehman, 51-27, and shot 42.4 percent from the field in the second-half to finish 33.3 percent for the game. The Lightning shot 36.0 percent from the field (9 of 25) in the second-half and 28.6 percent for the game (14 of 49).
Mellody reached another personal milestone in tonight’s game, moving into second-place on the Lady Royals’ all-time scoring list with 1,884 points. She surpassed three-time all-American Kelly Halpin (1,865 points, 1996-2000) in the process.
Veteran University of Scranton head coach Mike Strong will coach the 800th game of his career tomorrow evening against Hamilton College. In 27 seasons as head coach, Strong is now 665-134 (.832).
LEHMAN COLLEGE (19-10) Nnamani, Sally 4-13 4-6 13; Santiago, Kathy 3-14 4-7 11; Carroll, Tiara 2-7 4-6 8; Loor, Maria 3-9 0-0 6; Sampson, Monique 2-4 1-1 5; Taylor, Taniefah 0-0 0-0 0; Kelly, Kimberly 0-1 0-0 0; Arrieta, Shirley 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-49 13-20 43. THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON (26-2) Mellody, Taryn 9-17 2-3 24; Fabio, Michelle 4-7 0-0 8; Matt, Allison 0-9 5-5 5; Brophy, Julie 2-5 0-0 5; Remington, Stephanie 2-6 0-0 5; Healy, Marisa 1-4 2-2 4; Williams, Tiffaney 1-3 2-4 4; Daly, Kathleen 1-5 1-2 3; Mooney, Ryan 0-0 2-2 2; Thran, Casey 1-6 0-0 2; Waiters, Tammy 1-3 0-0 2; Davis, Claire 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-66 14-18 64. Lehman College................ 18 25 - 43 The University of Scranton.... 26 38 - 64 3-point goals-Lehman College 2-8 (Nnamani, Sally 1-4; Santiago, Kathy 1-3; Arrieta, Shirley 0-1), The University of Scranton 6-21 (Mellody, Taryn 4-7; Remington, Stephanie 1-4; Brophy, Julie 1-3; Thran, Casey 0-1; Davis, Claire 0-1; Matt, Allison 0-5). Fouled out--Lehman College-Sampson, Monique, The University of Scranton-None. Rebounds-Lehman College 27 (Carroll, Tiara 8), The University of Scranton 51 (Fabio, Michelle 10). Assists-Lehman College 8 (Carroll, Tiara 3), The University of Scranton 16 (Mooney, Ryan 3; Remington, Stephanie 3; Brophy, Julie 3). Total fouls-Lehman College 16, The University of Scranton 19. A-1000