WBSK11-16-01

ESU-Merrimack Women's Basketball

ERIE - Merrimack scored nine straight points early in the second half to break a tie and went on to defeat East Stroudsburg University, 67-52, in an opening-round game of the Avalon Women's Basketball Classic Friday night.

It was the season's opener for both teams and ESU's first game under new coach Juliene Simpson. The Warriors will take on the loser of the other first-round game between host Gannon and Ohio Valley today at 1 p.m. in a consolation contest.

ESU played evenly with Merrimack in the first half and led by 28-23 at one point before falling behind, 34-32, by halftime. The score was tied at 36 with 16:39 remaining when Stacy Knapp sank a pair of free throws and Christina Siragusa followed with a three-pointer to give the Massachusetts team a five-point lead.

Knapp then banked in a layup and Diana Mitchell also made a layup for a 45-36 edge with 14:13 left. ESU never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Guard Megan Ross led the Warriors with 15 points while center Vanessa Kraft added ten and forward Tiffany Barnes eight points and eight rebounds. Knapp, a 6-1 center, took game scoring honors with 18 points with Siragusa adding ten.

"I was pleased with our first-game effort," said Simpson. "We did a good job in the first half, moving the ball, creating turnovers and keeping them off the boards. Their size and transition game hurt us in the second half."

Merrimack 67

O'Connell 4 0-0 8, Leary 3 0-0 6, Knapp 7 4-8 18, Smith 3 2-4 9, Siragusa 2 4-4 10, Mitchell 2 0-0 4, Reupert 0 4-6 4, Brosnahan 2 2-5 6, McEwen 0 0-0 0, Paiva 0 0-0 0, Quist 1 0-0 2. Totals: 24 16-27 67

East Stroudsburg 52

Helt 1 1-2 3, Barnes 3 2-3 8, Ross 7 0-0 15, Wear 1 0-0 2, Wolfe 0 0-0 0, Cox 1 0-1 2, Thompson 2 0-0 4, Gordon 0 0-0 0, Pilenza 1 0-0 2, Garlach 1 2-2 4, Wapinsky 1 0-0 2, Kraft 4 1-2 10. Totals: 22 6-10 52

Three-Point Goals: Merrimack - Siragusa 2, Smith; ESU - Ross, Kraft

Halftime: Merrimack, 34-32

Records: Merrimack 1-0, ESU 0-1