Pacers Hold Off Giants in CSAC Women's Hoops Opener
Alexa Gerchman produced six steals, seven points, four assists, three blocks, and seven rebounds

Pacers Hold Off Giants in CSAC Women's Hoops Opener

Women's Basketball - 12/2/2015 8:07:00 PM

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La Plume, PA - Marywood University opened its Colonial States Athletic Conference women's basketball schedule with a 60-56 victory over rival Keystone College Wednesday on the road. The Pacers have a winning record at 3-2, while Keystone falls to 3-3 and winless in two CSAC matches.

Lisa Steakin was the Pacers' lone player in double figures, matching a career high with 11 points. She has reached double figures each of the past two games.

Alexa Gerchman had an all-around effort with six steals, seven points, four assists, three blocks, and seven rebounds. Catie Nealon and Gabrielle Giordano scored nine and eight points, respectively.

Keystone had three players in double figures. Nina Hodanich posted a game-high 18 points. Destinee Hall was two rebounds shy of a double-double with 14 points. Bryce Garrett garnered 11 points, and April Acosta nabbed five steals.

The Pacers' victory avenges a pair of crippling home losses, including one in the CSAC first round, to the Giants last February.

Trailing by as many as 19 points, Keystone made a run late in the game by scoring nine of the final 10 points over the final 1:49. With buckets by Hall and Garrett, the Giants' seven-point steak put them behind five (59-54) with 19 seconds remaining. Steakin made a free throw with 14 seconds. Hodanich made a basket at the other end but the Pacers were able to wind down the final two seconds for the victory.

Much like Monday's win over Wilkes, the Pacers came out strong out of the gate. Three 3-pointers by Giordano (twice) and Nealon on three-straight possessions cemented a 13-10 lead with 5:18 left. Hall brought the Giants' deficit to one (13-12) with 2:57 remaining before Marywood closed out the first quarter with seven-straight points, capped by a Gerchman layup.

Marywood's run ballooned to 13-straight points after an Alyssa Olson bucket via a Gerchman steal. Hall hit a basket at 4:13 in the second quarter that put an end to an 8:44 cold streak from the field.

Both teams finished with 37 rebounds. Keystone significantly outshot the Pacers by a 41.2-to-30.9 percent ratio. The second half was most telling with the Giants making 46.7 percent of its shots, compared to a 5-for-22 performance (22.7 percent) for the Forest Green and Gold. The Giants and Pacers combined for 59 turnovers, paced by the Giants' 32 giveaways.

Free throws were the ultimate deciding factor in the game. Marywood had its best outing of the season by hitting 76.9 percent (20 for 26) from the charity stripe. Keystone, meanwhile, mustered an 8 for 19 line from the line - a paltry 42.1 percent total.

Marywood continues to make its Northeastern Pennsylvania circles when it travels to Wilkes-Barre to face King's College Monday at 7:00 pm. Keystone travels to Baltimore to take on Notre Dame of Maryland University Saturday.
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