Moravian Opens Landmark Conference Slate with Victory over Drew

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Moravian University women’s basketball team opened its 2023-24 Landmark Conference season with a 67-52 victory over visiting Drew University in Johnston Hall Wednesday evening as the Greyhounds recorded their first win of the year. 

How It Happened

• The Hounds netted the first four points of the contest on a pair of free throws from junior forward Brielle Guarente and a jumper by senior forward Sam Osorio. The Rangers knotted the score at 4-4 before a free throw from Osorio had the Greyhounds in the lead for good at 5-4 with 6:06 left in the first quarter. Freshman guard/forward Lizzie Lustig hit a jumper just before the end of the period to give the Blue & Grey a 9-6 lead after 10 minutes of action
• Lustig drained a three-pointer to begin the second quarter as Moravian had its largest lead to that point at six points, 12-6. Drew countered with a 9-4 run to get within a point at 16-15, but the Hounds would go up by seven, 23-16, after a three-point play and two more free throws by freshman center Grace Steffen with just over two minutes before the intermission. The Rangers drilled a pair of three throws to get back within a point; however, the Greyhounds headed to the locker room with a 27-24 lead
• Osorio opened the scoring in the third quarter with a fastbreak layup. Drew hung around, down just 36-32, with four minutes left in the period before a 10-2 run from Moravian capped by a three-pointer by sophomore guard Juliana Vassallo pushed the advantage into double digits for the first time at 46-34. The Blue & Grey led 46-36 after 30 minutes of play
• In the fourth quarter, the Hounds kept the advantage above 10 points for all by 17 seconds of the period, and Moravian’s lead reached 17 points at 61-44 on a layup from Steffen with 3:16 to play

Inside the Numbers

• Moravian had three players in double figures with Osorio and Guarente both netting a team-high 15 points. Osorio added five rebounds while Guarente contributed four boards, two assists and a pair of steals
• Lustig netted a career-high 14 points to go with four rebounds and three assists while Steffen grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds to go with nine points and three steals
• Vassallo tossed in eight points with four boards and two steals while sophomore guard Jayda Cartagena had four points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals
• Freshman center Laine Herbert recorded four rebounds and two points while senior guard Reganne Flannery dished out six assists to go…