EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The #22/25 Thomas Jefferson University women's basketball team used a 9-0 third-quarter run to take the lead for good and pulled away in the fourth for an 80-70 victory at East Stroudsburg (3-1) on Tuesday night to improve to 5-0.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Warriors netted the first three points as the Rams trailed in a game for the first time this season. Jefferson was behind 6-2 before scoring eight straight points to take a 10-6 advantage with 1:58 left in the opening frame. ESU made a jumper and the score was 10-8 after one period.
 
In the second, the Warriors started with a layup to even the score at 10. It was the first of four ties in the stanza as the teams went back and forth. With the sides deadlocked at 21, Cassie Murphy deposited back-to-back layups to put Jefferson ahead by four with 1:42 on the clock. ESU came back with a layup and three-pointer for a one-point edge (26-25) but the Rams tallied the last four points of the half on a pair of Murphy jumpers to take a 29-26 lead at the intermission.
 
Jefferson carried the momentum into the third, scoring the first five points to open up an eight-point cushion (34-26). However, the Warriors fought back with a 9-1 run to tie it up at 35 with 4:07 remaining. A three-pointer at 2:33 gave ESU a 41-40 advantage before the Rams rallied for nine consecutive points to go in front 49-41 at the 34-second mark. Four different players contributed to the stretch. The Warriors closed the gap to four (49-45) entering the final quarter.
 
Jefferson recorded 11 of the first 14 points in the fourth to up the margin to 12 (60-48). However, ESU got back in it with the next seven points to cut the deficit to five (60-55) with 5:48 to go. The Rams then pulled away for good with a 10-0 surge to make it 70-55 with 2:55 left. Murphy led the way with six points.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Cassie Murphy: 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Haley Meinel: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 3 steals
Maeve McCann: 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 steal
Morgan Robinson: 9 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals
 
JEFFERSON AS A TEAM
FG: 28-of-60 (46.7%)
3PT: 3-of-9 (33.3%)
FT: 21-of-25 (84.0%)
 
NOTES
- The Rams posted season highs with 80 points and seven blocks.
- Cassie Murphy's 29 points is the most by a Jefferson player this year.
- The Rams are 5-0 for the seventh time, three of which have been in the last five seasons.
 
UP NEXT
Jefferson heads to West Chester for another non-conference tilt on Saturday, November 26^th at 1 p.m.