MONTCLAIR, New Jersey — The Albright College Lions shut down the Husson University Eagles to earn a 76-46 women’s basketball victory in a first-round game in the NCAA Division III tourney Friday at Montclair State’s Panzer Athletic Center.
The Lions held the Eagles to a 23.3 percent shooting effort from the floor (17 of 73) and surged to a 33-22 first-half lead.
Albright (26-2) of Reading, Pennsylvania, also featured offensive balance with 13 points each from Nina Mazzarelli and Mikayla Lea. Emily O’Donnell chipped in with 10 points while Jane Joyce and Kelecia Harris each added nine.
The Lions controlled the inside game, outrebounding the Eagles 61-34 with Alysha Lofton grabbing 10 rebounds to go with eight points. Lea and Joyce also had nine rebounds each.
Chandler Guerrette scored 13 points to lead the Eagles of Bangor (21-7) and Kenzie Worcester added 11, but the Lions held Guerrette to a 4-for-16 effort from the floor and Worcester to a 4-for-12 performance.
Victoria McIntyre chipped in with eight points and four rebounds for the Eagles while Darla Morales grabbed seven rebounds.
The Lions surged to an 11-point lead at halftime and then rattled off seven unanswered points to start the third quarter to take a 40-22 lead with 7:20 left in the quarter.
Shannon Thomas started the scoring surge with a layup, Joyce converted a conventional three-point play and Donnell added an inside basket before Husson’s Denae Johnson ended the run with a jumper.
Husson would get no closer than 16 the rest of the way.