Box Score SAN JUAN, P.R. - The sixth-ranked University of Scranton gave #4 Tufts its first loss of the season, 52-42, Sunday afternoon at Coliseo Guillermo Angul in Puerto Rico.
The Jumbos drop to 8-1 while the Royals improve to 9-1. Tufts will finish its two-game jaunt to Puerto Rico on Monday with a morning game against Baldwin Wallace. The Royals play Babson on Monday before returning home.
Meredith Mesaris led Scranton with 15 points, including three three-pointers and 6 for 6 shooting from the free throw line. Sarah Payonk also scored in double digits with 10 points and finished with a double-double adding 10 rebounds.
Tufts was led by 14 points from sophomore Michela North, who made good on six of 11 field goals and added seven rebounds. Senior tri-captain Kelsey Morehead recorded eight points and six rebounds for Tufts.
Sranton held Tufts to just 19.2 percent shooting (5/26) in the first half as they took a 24-18 lead. The Royals limited Tufts to just 28.3 percent (15/53) from the field overall and won the rebounding battle, 41-32. The Jumbos finished 3 for 16 shooting threes (18.8 percent).
The Lady Royals allowed just three points in the final eight minutes of the first half, turning a 15-11 deficit into the six-point advantage at the break.
The Jumbos scored the first four points of the second half to close within two and later knotted the score at 32 with 8:26 to play. But Scranton answered with a 7-2 run, capped by a three-pointer by senior guard Lia DiSciascio to regain control.
Tufts closed within one, 42-41, with 5:36 to play, but Scranton held the Jumbos scoreless the rest of the way, finishing the game on a 10-0 run.
Scranton shot 33.3 percent (15/45), including 5 for 11 from three-point range. The Lady Royals also made 17 of 21 free throws (81 percent). They out-scored the Jumbos 17-9 at the line.
Information courtesy of University of Scranton used in release
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