Box Score PHILADELPHIA – Sophomore guard Monica Schacker (Doylestown, Pa./Germantown Academy) and freshman forward Tori Arnao (Newtown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) combined to score 44 points, and help the Philadelphia University women's basketball team get back in the win column with a 75-67 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) victory over Georgian Court Tuesday night in the Gallagher Center.
The win snaps the Rams' two-game skid and improve their overall record to 10-8 and their conference mark to 6-5. Georgian Court is now 6-13 overall and 6-8 in the CACC.
Schacker knocked down six three-pointers on her way to a career-high 25 points. Arnao posted her ninth double-double of the season with 19 points and 14 rebounds against the Lions.
The tandem was big early as Schacker knocked down three treys, and Arnao scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in the Rams' 19-2 run during the opening 8:28. Philadelphia played lock-down defense during that span, forcing Georgian Court to commit six turnovers and shoot 1-of-9 from the field.
Georgian Court was able to close the gap to single digits (21-14) with a 12-2 run of its own, led by six of Shauneia McPherson's game-high total 29 points.
A successful free throw by junior guard Megan Finn (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) allowed Philadelphia to regain its 14-point advantage at 28-14 with 4:45 left in the first half. The Rams took a 34-23 lead into the halftime break.
The Lions cut the Rams' cushion down to six multiple times during the first 5:29 of the second half.
Leading 48-41, Philadelphia grew its lead to a game-high 18 points as it outscored Georgian Court 17-6 over the next 5:35 and make the score 65-47 with 7:25 to play. Arnao and Schacker led the Rams' charge with seven and six points, respectively.
A McPhearson three-pointer with 47 seconds left got Georgian Court as close as six, 73-67. Schacker and senior guard Taylor Peltzer (Holland, Pa./Archbishop Wood) each went 1-of-2 at the line, and the Rams held the Lions to 0-of-4 shooting down the stretch.
Finn finished the game with nine points and six assists. Senior forward Kristen Blye (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown E.) netted eight points and is now 13 points away from becoming the program's 28th 1,000-point scorer.
Tahira Matthews added 18 points for the Lions.
Philadelphia shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55) from the field, while Georgian Court connected on 40.0 percent (28-of-70) of its attempts. The Lions won the rebounding battle, 43-40.
The Rams will hit the road to begin February with a CACC crossover battle at Bloomfield on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 1 p.m.
