Box Score BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Philadelphia University women's basketball team had a tremendous end to the 2015 portion of its schedule on Wednesday afternoon. The Rams rallied to erase a six-point fourth quarter deficit and defeat host Bloomsburg 76-72. Forward Tori Arnao (Newtown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) became the fifth player in program history to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
Arnao, who scored her 1,000th point in the Rams' last game on Dec. 20, came into today's contest needing 12 rebounds to be the first player since Jessica Romano in 2010 to join the elite club. Against the Huskies, Arnao grabbed a game- and season-high 21 rebounds and poured in 17 points. Her 1,000th rebound came with 1:25 left in the third quarter. The 21 rebounds tie her career high, which she set in her first collegiate game on Nov. 10, 2012.
Now with 1,017 career points and 1,009 career rebounds, Arnao joins Vincene Morris (2,180 points, 1,335 rebounds), Theresa Carroll (2,115/1,033), Alisha Ferguson (1,202/1,114), and Romano (1,854/1,062) in the 1,000/1,000 club.
Mary Newell (Lansdale, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) also had a career-day for the Rams (8-5) in the win as she poured in a career-best 23 points in 22 minutes on 10-of-14 shooting. Rachel Day (Horsham, Pa./Archbishop Wood) added 16 points, while Bria Young (Philadelphia, Pa./Prep Charter) had 12 points and seven assists.
The Rams faced a 68-62 deficit after Adreana Sadowski, who scored 19 points for the Huskies, made a layup off of a Mia Hopkins pass with 7:34 left in the final quarter. Philadelphia turned up the defense over the next 3:36 to put together a scrappy 9-0 run, capped off by three Newell layups, to take a 71-68 advantage. The Rams shot 4-of-10 from the field and grabbed five offensive rebounds during the surge, while the Huskies (7-4) were 0-of-2 and turned the ball over three times.
With the lead down to 71-70 after another Sadowski layup, Arnao and Newell cam through with a layup on consecutive trips down the floor to push the gap to five. After an Alex Ross basket with 2:00 left to make the score 75-72, the Rams ratcheted the defensive pressure back up and didn't allow the Huskies to score again.
Both teams shot the ball very well in the opening quarter, which ended with Bloomsburg in front 25-24. Led by a 10-point quarter on 4-of-4 shooting from Mia Hopkins, who finished with 19 points, the Huskies shot 10-of-15 in the opening 10 minutes. The Rams hit 10 of their 17 attempts.
In the second quarter, Day knocked down three 3-pointers to score 11 of the team's 17 points. The game was tied at 41 at the break.
Philadelphia will open 2016 with three straight home contests. The first one comes on Monday, January 4 against Washington Adventist at 5 p.m. in the Gallagher Center. It will be the Rams' final non-conference game of the season.
