WESTMINSTER, MD - McDaniel College opened up a 16-0 lead in the first four minutes of play in the first half to defeat Franklin & Marshall College 78-52 in Centennial Conference women's basketball action.
The Green Terror (14-4, 8-3 Centennial Conference) jumped on the scoreboard 29 seconds into the game as center Theresa Hess made a lay-up to put McDaniel in front to stay and closed out the 16-0 run with a jumper at 15:54. F&M chipped into the lead as point guard Dana Johns (Sr., York, PA/Eastern York) hit a three-pointer at 15:22 for the first of her game high 16 points in the game.
The Diplomats (4-11, 2-7 Centennial Conference) were unable to move the lead under 13 points in the first half as leading 23-10 with 11:41 to play, McDaniel went on a 10-1 run to push the lead out to 22 points. Guard Sarah Meisenberg (Fr., Severna Park, MD/Severn School) made a pair of free-throws at 7:31 to cut the lead to 20 points, but Katy Powell, Allison Biggs and Kara Delenick made baskets, Sara Franz added a pair of free throws and Powell tacked on a front end of a pair of shots at the line for a 9-0 spurt to go ahead 42-13. Forward Emily Weaver (Sr., Prince Frederick, MD/Calverton) dropped in a lay-up to slice the lead back to 27 points, but Amy Watson and Powell added buckets to push the lead out to 31 points before Johns connected on a pair of free throws to trim McDaniel's lead to 46-17 at halftime.
F&M opened the second half with a run as Johns made two three pointers and a lay-up, forward Brittany Braxton (So., Pearl River, NY/Nanuet) chipped in a pair of lay-ups and Meisenberg knocked down a three-pointer to fuel a 15-4 run which cut McDaniel's lead to 18 points at 50-32 with 14:15 left on the game clock.
The Green Terror countered the rally with a 12-4 run to set the lead back at 26 points as McDaniel rolled to the victory.
The key to the game was McDaniel's dominance in the paint as the Green Terror outscored F&M 46-17 down low.
For McDaniel, four players reach double-digits in scoring as Costa (15 points), Franz (12 points, four assists), Powell (11 points, five assists, four blocks, two seals) and Hess (10 points, seven rebounds, three steals) led the Green Terror.
Johns keyed the Diplomats adding three steals and draining three-of-seven from beyond the arc as she raised her career totals to 929 points, 232 steals, 272 assists and 138 three-pointers. In the history of the College, she ranks first in three point baskets, third in steals, seventh in assists and is closing in on becoming the 13th player in Franklin & Marshall women's basketball history with 1,000 points.
Franklin & Marshall will continue the season on January 26 at home versus Muhlenberg College. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
