Rance Leads Devils to Rout of Goldey Beacom

By Bob Heller
USIP Sports Information Director

Shelby Rance scored a career high 31 points as the USP women's basketball team cruised to an easy 94-53 victory over Goldey Beacom College last night at the Bobby Morgan Arena.

The win clinches a home conference playoff game for the Devils on March 2nd.

Rance (Fr., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, PAQ) connected on ten of 16 shots from the field, including three of four from three-point range. Shelby was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line and pulled down six rebounds, had four assists and four steals. in just 24 minutes of playing time.

Joining Rance in double figures was Leah Shumoski (So., Marple-Newtown HS/Broomall, PA). Shumoski had 13 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

Runs of 10-2 and 11-4 staked the Devils to a 15-point advantage, 21-6, just 6:36 into the game. USP still led by 13, 31-18 at the 6:15 mark when they went on a 10-0 run to go up 41-18 with 4:25 left. The Lightning outscored the Devils 8-6 over the final 4:25 but the Devils still led 47-26 at halftime.

The Lightning opened the half with an 8-2 run to cut the Devils lead to 15, 49-34 with 16:45 left in the game. However the Devils countered with a 28-2 outburst over the next 7:28 to go up by 41, 77-36. Rance had 17 of her points during this run, including all three of her long range three-pointers. Shumoski added two baskets and Kate Jordan (Sr., Delaware Valley High School/Matamoras, PA), Roni DiCiccio (Sr., Clearview Regional HS/Mullica Hill, NJ) and Amanda Byrd (So., Christiana HS/Newark, DE) each added a basket over the course of the run.

The Devils increased the lead to as high as 46 points, before settling in for the 41-point win. Byrd, Rashanna Edwards (Fr., West-Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Plainsboro, NJ) and Stephanie Watson (So., Archbishop Ryan HS/ Warminster, PA) came off the bench to add eight points apiece. Edwards also had a team high 5 steals in just 15 minutes of playing time.

USP is now 17-5 overall and 16-2 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).