Lady Crusaders Pick up Key ESAC Wins to Start the Semester

Newtown, PA – The Lady Crusaders defeated the Bucks County Centurions 99-22 on Friday, January 12, in an East South Athletic Conference matchup.

The Crusaders jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, with Miranda Keller (Junior/Harrisburg, PA) scoring after an offensive rebound. Regina Bonvissuto (Junior/Kingston Springs, TN) then gave the Lady Crusaders a 5-0 lead finishing through contact for the and-1 layup in transition. The Crusaders continued to click offensively and played solid defense, ending the first quarter with a 21-1 advantage.  In the second quarter, the Crusaders continued to dominate on both sides of the court and went into halftime with a 45-9 lead. Throughout the second half, the Crusaders shut down the Centurions with strong defense, holding the Centurions to 13 points in the half. The Lady Crusaders also put up an impressive 54 points in the half, giving them the victory 99-22. 

Mary Pennefather (Freshman/Manassas, VA) led the Crusaders in scoring with 36 points, also grabbing 13 steals to finish with a double-double. Catherine Thomas (Junior/Corpus Christi, TX) also had a double-double with 28 points and 15 rebounds. 

Summerdale, PA - The next day, the Crusaders had another ESAC matchup against Central Penn, where they defeated the Knights 77-59.

The Knights came out strong, attacking the Crusader defense, scoring 23 points in the first quarter. The Lady Crusaders ended the quarter with a 14-23 deficit. However, their defense and offense picked up in the second quarter, as they began the quarter with a 12-0 run. Mary Pennefather hit two 3-pointers and assisted Catherine Thomas on two layups to spur the Crusaders' offense. On defense, Miranda Keller took a crucial charge and grabbed defensive rebounds to shut down the Knights.  The second half of the  quarter went back and forth until the Crusaders went into halftime with a slight 33-32 lead.

In the second half, the Crusaders' offense dominated, led by Pennefather. Pennefather continued to hit crucial 3-pointers, also driving through the Knights' defense to score tough layups in the paint. The Crusaders went on another run during the third quarter to establish a 10-point lead, and in the fourth quarter held the Knights to 10 points to close out the game, winning 77-59.

Pennefather had an incredible game, scoring 48 points and going 10 of 13 from the 3-point line.  She also had 11 rebounds, finishing with a double-double. Catherine Thomas also had a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Up next – The Crusaders take on the Regent Royals at home on January 18^th at 5:00pm.