PHILADELPHIA – The #6/9 ranked Thomas Jefferson University women's basketball team (18-1, 8-0) had a 20-6 first quarter and were able to hold off the Tigers through the rest of the game as the Rams walked away from the Gallagher Center with a 65-45 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) South division win over Holy Family University (15-5, 5-3) in Tuesday evening competition.
 
WHAT HAPPENED
The Rams started off hot with a 20-6 opening quarter, allowing Holy Family only two out of 15 shots to go in while going 8-of-15 on the floor for themselves. They scored the first six points behind Sam Yencha and Emma Kuczynski. Yencha would have eight of her 14 points in the first quarter while Kuczynski would score six of her 12 points in the first 10 minutes. Morgan Robinson would dish out five of her 12 assists in the first quarter for Jefferson. Haley Meinel and Cassie Murphy would both get in the scoring action in the quarter, pushing the Rams to the second quarter with a commanding lead.
 
Holy Family would respond by outscoring Jefferson 13-12 in the second quarter. Ava Morrow, Kara Meredith, and Jessice Riepe would hit a three-pointer in the first five minutes to cut the Rams lead to nine points. Yencha and Emily Spratt would have a shot made during that run for the Tigers. Murphy converted on two layups while Meinel hit her own three in the second quarter to have Jefferson head into the break up 32-19.
 
Both teams would have their runs in the third quarter, as the Rams had 19 points to the Tigers 15. Murphy would hit two free throws while Robinson and Kuczynski hit their shots to add to Jefferson's lead 38-19. Taylor Hinkle would score six points in the third, with Riepe going 3-4 from beyond the arc, but the Rams would go into the final quarter up 51-34.
 
The Tigers would try one last push to get back into the game, beginning with an and-one from Carolyn Prevost and scores from three different Holy Family players. But Jefferson would outscore the Tigers 14-11, with Meinel scoring six of those Rams points in the final period. Spratt, Yencha, and Kuczynski would all get on the scoreboard as Jefferson would walk away with a 65-45 win over their CACC South rival Holy Family.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Haley Meinel: 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting (2-5 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 blocks
Sam Yencha: 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting, 4-4 FT, 11 rebounds
Emma Kuczynski: 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Cassie Murphy: 8 points on 3-of-9 shooting, 5 rebounds
Morgan Robinson: 2 points on 1-of-5 shooting, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals
 
NCAA STATISTICS
Here are some of the statistic standings for the Rams throughout the entire Division II Basketball season so far:
Scoring Margin: 15.9 (8^th)
Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.70 (1^st)
Assists-Per-Game: 19.3 (3^rd)
Fouls-Per-Game: 10.6 (1^st)
Turnover Margin: 7.79 (7^th)
Turnovers-Per-Game: 11.4 (2^nd)
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Morgan Robinson: 162 assists (1^st), 8.5 assists-per-game (1^st), 3.38 Assist/Turnover Ratio (6^th), 1 Triple Double (T-1^st)
Haley Meinel: 74 steals (1^st), 3.89 steals-per-game (3^rd), 87.9 free throw % (21^st)
Sam Yencha: 13 double doubles (2^nd), 60.2 field goal % (8^th), 136 field goals (6^th), 222 rebounds (1^st), 7.4 defensive rebounds-per-game (12^th), 4.3 offensive rebounds-per-game (9^th), 11.7 rebounds-per-game (4^th)
 
UP NEXT
Jefferson will take a long break as they look to keep their undefeated conference record going, with their next game on Saturday, February 3 when the Rams head to Rutherford, New Jersey to take on Felician University at 1 p.m.