Generals fend off Knights in competitive season opener for No. 7 W&L
Washington and Lee came away victorious in what proved to be a tough test on Monday night, beating Southern Virginia, 69-61
A back-and-forth battle unfolded in Lexington, Virginia on Monday night. Even with an exceptional 28-point, 14-rebound double-double from First Team Preseason All-American Mary Schleusner, 7th-ranked Washington and Lee was pushed to the brink by Southern Virginia, the favorite to win the USA South. It was three-point game with 2:34 to play, and for a good portion of all four quarter, stayed within single digits. Neither side shot the ball especially well from 3-point range—or the free throw line—but W&L was 54.1% on 2-point attempts and found its most success late, with a 9-0 run as part of a 21-point fourth quarter that sealed the Generals’ narrow home win.
Without Hanna Malik on the floor, this W&L team looks a bit different, and I say that completely as a testament to what she brought to last year’s Elite Eight team. W&L’s backcourt is solid, no doubt, but Malik’s scoring ability was such a mainstay for the Generals for multiple years, and she’s a caliber of player you cannot easily make up for. At the same time, it was good to see guards Quinn McGuinness and Zou Raine each contribute with 10 points for W&L.
On the other side, SVU showed up ready to battle, and despite shooting just 30.3% on the offensive end, stayed in it with continued pressure on the offensive glass and a stringent defense. The Knights had 14 offensive rebounds, and kept their turnover number low for much of the game, which helped as well. They scored just twice in the final 1:57, falling victim to a scoring drought at a very unideal juncture. But overall, I was impressed by the performance SVU put forth, taking a Top 10 team down to the wire on the road, and I think this group has a good chance at being even better than last year’s USA South championship team.
» Schleusner eclipsed the 1,200-point mark, making her the 11th player in W&L history to do so. She is now just four points away from passing Malik for 10th overall on W&L’s all-time scoring list. The junior also hit the 900-rebound mark against SVU, and with her 909 boards, is No. 5 all-time in W&L history for career rebounds.
» SVU’s Ruth Kempler went toe-to-toe with Schleusner in the post for a good portion of the game, and the junior held her own. Offensively, Kempler was SVU’s top scorer off the bench, with 14 points.
» W&L ran fairly well in transition, scoring 24 fast-break points.
» The tough tests continue for W&L, who heads to Emory on Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup in Atlanta. The Generals also get a tough Oglethorpe team on Sunday to close the weekend. SVU’s next big test comes at Guilford on Nov. 19.
Lady Royals roll in season opener
No. 3 Scranton beats Cortland, 69-48, Kranson scores 21
» Facing a Cortland team that is amongst the top three in contention for the SUNYAC title, the Lady Royals initially made their mark on defense, utilizing a full-court press. That press generated a 14-1 run out of the gate, as Cortland’s first field goal didn’t come until the 2:15. By that point, the Red Dragons had already turned it over six times.
» Scranton’s Kaci Kranson was just 2-of-7 from 3-point range, but put up 21 points, shooting 7-of-19, and 5-of-7 from the FT line. 6’0 guard/forward Katie Gorski came off the bench for 11 points in 22 minutes, shooting an efficient 4-of-6 from the field. Gorski also came up with a key steal midway through the second after Cortland cut Scranton’s lead to four. She found Kranson immediately after the steal, who connected on a 3 five seconds later, giving Scranton breathing room.
» Scranton was strong on the boards, winning the rebounding battle, 48-33, which included 16 offensive rebounds to Cortland’s 6.
By the Numbers
3 overtime games on Monday night, as Millikin came back to edge Rose-Hulman, 86-80, Juniata beat PSU-Altoona, 86-82, and Moravian narrowly got past Immaculata, 66-65, on a pair of Juliana Vassallo free throws with 25 seconds left. All 3 winners were the home team in their respective matchups.
27 points from Elmhurst Kristin Bukata, who shot 9-of-18 and 8-of-11 at the FT line, helping Elmhurst win its first game under head coach Cameron Tucker.
35 turnovers forced by Christopher Newport in the Captains’ 81-57 win at Puget Sound. Over half (42) over CNU’s points came off turnovers as the Captains head back home with a 2-0 record on the West Coast.
Today’s Games to Watch (all times ET)
No. 22 SUNY New Paltz at RV Vassar, 7:00 p.m. — New Paltz (0-1) looks to bounce back after falling victim to an upset at Saint Joseph’s (L.I.) on Saturday while Vassar (2-0) plays its third home game, and biggest non-conference home game of the season.
Messiah at DeSales, 7:30 p.m. — I think we’ll learn a lot about both teams in this one, as Messiah (0-0) makes its season debut and DeSales (2-0) seeks a third-straight win after edging past Gwynedd Mercy on Saturday for a 2-0 start.
Kean at Stevens, 7:00 p.m. — Kean (0-0) is projected to be in the mix in the NJAC, and is in its season opener on the road. Stevens (0-1) will be hungry for a win after falling narrowly to Dickinson, 58-55, on Saturday.