SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Junior guard Erin McQuillen (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) was named the Most Valuable Player of the Susquehanna Trailways Tip-Off Tournament while the Susquehanna University women's basketball team brought home the trophy after a year away from the 'Grove. Susquehanna (3-1) posted an 80-66 victory over the Eagles of the College of Saint Elizabeth (3-3) for the championship win.
 
McQuillen earned MVP honors after averaging 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals over the weekend while junior guard Nevin Hoenninger (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) landed on the All-Tournament Team after Hoenninger contributed 23 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and one block in the River Hawks' 2-0 weekend.
 
Kamille Jacobs and Kamani Williams of St. Elizabeth, Destenee Bailey of York (N.Y.) College and Lydia Albert of Penn College were all named to the All-Tournament Team. Penn College (1-2) held on for a 66-63 win over York (0-3) for third place.
 
Susquehanna 80, St. Elizabeth 66
 
How It Happened
First Quarter

• The River Hawk defense limited St. Elizabeth to just 3-of-15 from the floor, including 0-fer from downtown, and forced five turnovers.
• On the opposite end of the court, Susquehanna shot 52.9-percent from the field with 3-of-6 from behind the three-point arc on its way to a 21-9 lead after one period of the action. The River Hawks outscored CSE, 12-4, in the paint and notched seven points of the Eagles' miscues.

 
Second Quarter

• The offensive struggles continued for the Eagles in the second frame, once again just shooting 20-percent and committing six turnovers that led to 11 points for SU.
• Susquehanna grew its lead to 19 with 1:10 left in the first half and took a 37-18 into halftime.
• Sophomore guard Amanda Lemire (Auburn, N.H./Pinkerton) led all scorers with nine points and six assists.

 
Third Quarter

• St. Elizabeth came alive in the second half as the Eagles could not miss, hitting a blistering 81.3% of their shots with their first three three-pointers of the game mixed in. CSE erased the 19-point deficit with a 31-11 run to claim its first lead of the game, 49-48, with 47 seconds to go in the third as Rakiyah Sellers made both of her free throws.
• Jacobs led the charge for the Eagles' rally with 10 points while Sellers and Williams each had six.

 
Fourth Quarter

• Five straight points by sophomore Amalia Esposito (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) put the River Hawks back in the driver's seat.
• The Eagles' hot hand cooled off considerably, making only 3-of-14 in the final 10 minutes of action, while Susquehanna hit 54.5-percent of its shots and dominated the paint, 18-4, with no turnovers.

 
Inside the Box Score

• The River Hawks finished with 28 points off of 18 St. Elizabeth miscues.
• For the game, Susquehanna shot 47.5-percent to the Eagles' 36.7-percent from the field.
• Rebounding was even at 41 apiece.
• This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

 
Top Performers

• Esposito paced the River Hawks with career-bests of 17 points and seven rebounds plus two assists while Lemire tallied 16 points and a career-high eight assists.
• McQuillen scored in double-digits for the third straight game with 13 while adding six boards, four assists, and two steals.
• Jacobs led all scorers with 20 points while Williams contributed a double-double on 14 points and 10 rebounds. Sellers and Maria DeVincenzo each chipped in 11 points.

 
Up Next for the River Hawks

• Dec. 1 vs. Lycoming (3-1) – Selinsgrove, Pa. / O.W. Houts Gymnasium – 4:00 p.m.

 
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