hessling
Carey Action Photography
50
Wesley College WES 3-9, 0-2 AEC
72
Winner Marywood University MUWB 5-8, 1-0 AEC
Wesley College WES
3-9, 0-2 AEC
50
Final
72
Marywood University MUWB
5-8, 1-0 AEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Wesley College WES 14 13 17 6 50
Marywood University MUWB 18 20 17 17 72

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Hessling's Record-Tying Rebounds Help Pacers Take First-Ever Atlantic East Victory

Scranton, Pa. - Senior forward Natasha Hessling matched the Marywood University women's basketball single-game rebounding record for the second time this season. The Pacers won their first-ever Atlantic East Conference game with a 71-50 victory over Wesley College on Saturday afternoon.

Hessling secured 20 rebounds in the winning effort. With nine offensive and 11 defensive boards, she matched her Dec. 1, 2018 performance versus Wesleyan (Conn.) and Carly Leitzel's 2011 game against Wilkes. This season alone, she holds three of the top four single-game rebounding games in school history. It marked the 12th time in 13 games this year with double digits defensively.

The Honesdale, Pa. product also produced a game-high 18 points. She made nine field goals and shot 52.9 percent from the field. Her double-double is her eighth of the season.

Marywood earned the win in its first-ever Atlantic East Conference game played. The Pacers (5-8, 1-0 AEC) join Marymount University and Cabrini University as the only unbeaten teams unbeaten in conference play.

Alyssa Olson contributed with 15 points and seven assists. Olson made four 3-pointers -- all in the second quarter -- that sparked the Pacers in the first half.

Emily Theobald totaled nine points. Cait Reilly and Marissa Fernandez Tierney had eight points and rebounds, respectively.

Wesley kept the game close in the second quarter, moving to within one possession on a Monshea Newsome-Murray bucket on its first possession. Theobald responded with a jump shot on the Pacers' next shot. The Wolverines were within four (22-18) when Olson sank four long-range shots in five possessions over a 3:15 span. Olson's fourth trey gave the Pacers a 34-22 lead with 3:15 remaining in the first half. Hessling made a layup on a back-door Olson pass at the buzzer to head into the break with a 38-27 advantage.

The Wolverines opened the third quarter on a 10-3 run to bring it back to a two-possession game. Kilie Wyers fired a 3-pointer that kick-started a Pacers' run that ended the Wolverines' chances. Marywood outscored Wesley 14-3 in the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter.

Despite the loss, Marywood coughed up 18 turnovers to Wesley's 10. Marywood outshot Wesley 40.9 percent to 35.8 percent. Rebounding proved to be the difference-maker in the game: Marywood out-rebounded their opponents by a 49-32 margin.

Wesley was led by Sydney Pedersen's 17 points.

Hessling kept the conference's second-best rebounder in check with just four rebounds. She also had three blocks to her name and finished with a game-high 19 plus-minus rating.

The Pacers enter the thick of the conference schedule with a pair of away games against 2017-18 NCAA Tournament participants. Marywood takes on Cabrini on Wednesday and Marymount on Saturday.
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