SELINSGROVE, PA (November 19, 2022) -- The Susquehanna University women's basketball team had no problems Saturday afternoon in the 2022 National Beef Tip-Off Tournament opening game, breezing past visiting Gallaudet University 69-27 in action from O.W. Houts Gymnasium. The River Hawks (2-1) will play the winner of Cabrini University and Misericordia University Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., while the Bison will play at 1 p.m. in the consolation game. 

The River Hawks stormed out of the gates, scoring the contest's first 12 points including six from senior guard Kaitlyn Lynch. The Susquehanna lead would swell up to 19-3 just before the end of the first period, as first-year Julia Pinckert set up Lynch for a lay-up in the closing minute of the period. Susquehanna forced Gallaudet into 1-of-8 shooting in the first stanza, while going 9-of-19. 

The second quarter was much of the same, as SU made eight of its 18 field goals while Gallaudet connected on just one of its 15 attempts as the River Hawks took a 37-7 lead into the intermission. The Bison battled back in the third quarter, but the River Hawks were able to control the pace the final 20 minutes as everyone on the roster got into the contest while all but two players scored for the River Hawks. 

Lynch finished with a game-high 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting, grabbing six rebounds in just 21 minutes of action while Kenzi Selvaggi and Lauren Klein each finished with 11 points. Selvaggi was 5-of-8 and 1-of-2 from behind the arc, adding a team-high six helpers, while Klein connected on three of her four triple en route to her career-high point output. Isabella Schwabe scored six points and blocked a game-high four shots, while Vanessa Sabol tallied a career-high six points in the win. Sabol also added six rebounds and three steals. 

Pinckert continued to play an all-around solid game for the River Hawks, as she dished ouf five assists and posted a team-best eight rebounds in 17 minutes. First-years Faith Sekol and Carly George also posted their first career points in the win for SU, as George also posted three rebounds and three steals. Bri Dorsey pulled in a career-high six rebounds as well for the River Hawks, who shot 44.6 percent (29-65) from the field in the win. The 27 points allowed were the fewest allowed by a Susquehanna team since only allowing 23 in a 98-23 win over King's Point back on November 23, 2002. 

Gallaudet was led by the nine points from Anya Pothorski, with Malia Zornoza also scoring six points while playing all 40 minutes. GU shot 18.8 percent (9-48) from the field in the loss, turning the ball over 28 times.