Box Score

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – An early, 13-point deficit proved too much for the Susquehanna women's basketball team to overcome as the Crusaders dropped an 80-63 decision to Catholic, handing SU its first conference loss of the season.

Susquehanna (7-7, 2-1) shot 38 percent from the floor but made just 60 percent of its free throws. Catholic (9-4, 2-1), meanwhile, shot 45.5 percent from the floor, sank nearly 79 percent of its free throws and forced 24 SU turnovers.

Despite out-rebounding the Cardinals 40-39, including eight from senior Samantha Cartwright (Cranford, N.J./Cranford), Catholic was able to score 34 points in the paint, compared to just 12 by SU.

Cartwright led the Crusaders with 15 points. Classmate Erika Barron (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area) and sophomore Shannon Grunwald (Neshanic Station, N.J./Somerville) scored 12 points apiece with Barron also recording a team-best five assists.

The game opened in favor of the Cardinals, who jumped out to a double-digit lead (17-6) less than six minutes into the action. Two minutes later, SU found itself down by 17 (25-8) thanks to a 14-2 Catholic run.

A layup by Jill Woerner put SU in a 20-point hole, 33-13, with 8:24 to play in the half and the Cardinals took a 42-25 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Despite scoring 13 more points in the second half than they did in the first, the Crusaders were unable to bring the lead back to single digits. They did manage to cut what had been a 20-point deficit to only 10 (52-42) thanks to a trey from Barron with 11:09 to play.

SU was unable to pull any closer, however, and Catholic went back up by a game-high 24 points (72-48) due to a 20-6 run that ran the clock down to 4:48 to put the game out of reach for Susquehanna.

Next game: Friday, Jan. 14 at Moravian – 7:30 p.m.