Royals Down Cards 51-41
Schiavoni and McPeak combine for 20 rebounds

1/19/2008

SCRANTON, Pa. - The Catholic University of America women's basketball team continued to struggle in Landmark Conference play with a 51-41 loss to the University of Scranton Royals (10-5, 4-1 Landmark) Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania. The Cardinals drop to 5-9 overall and 1-4 in conference.

The Royals took a quick lead thanks to a 10-0 run forcing CUA to play from behind the entire game. The Cards battled back cutting the lead to to seven with six minutes remaining but poor shooting took its toll. Scranton didn't allow them to get any closer as Catholic University went into the locker room trailing 27-16.

Shooting proved to be the Cardinals' downfall in the first half as they shot just 25 percent and scored only 16 points. Freshman Kaitlyn O'Keefe (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) led the way with six points and junior Jessica Schiavoni (Winchester, Va./John Handley) added two points but a team-high 10 rebounds. Scranton outrebounded CUA 25-24 and the Cards committed 16 turnovers to the opponent's 10.

The Cardinals got back in the game in the second half as a jumper from freshman Christina Rogers (Monmouth Beach, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) at 13 minutes put them down by just six. However that would be as close as they would get. With four minutes remaining O'Keefe sunk a layup to make it 44-37 but a three-point play and free throws sealed the Cardinals' fate as they fell 51-41.

O'Keefe finished the game as CUA's leading scorer with 13 points while Schiavoni added eight. Lauren McPeak (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) had two points but ten rebounds for the contest. 28 turnovers hurt the Cardinals as Scranton committed just 20, Catholic University was also outrebounded 43-41. After shooing 45 percent in the half CUA ended the game hitting 33 percent while the Royals were at28 percent from the field.

The Cards will return home this week with a non-conference matchup versus Frostburg State on Wednesday at 6 p.m.