Basketball Spotlight: Devils Cruise to their Fourth Straight Win Thursday, January 13, 2005 By Bob Heller USIP Sports Information Director Leah Shumoski recorded her third consecutive double-double as the University of the Sciences women's basketball team cruised to their fourth straight win, 68-47 over host Georgian Court University earlier tonight. Shumoski (Jr., Marple-Newtown HS/Broomall, PA) had 20 points on 8 of 18 shooting from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line to pace the Devils. Leah also led the Devils in rebounding, pulling down 11 rebounds. In addition, Shumoski, the CACC steals leader, recorded four steals, three assists and had one blocked shot. Joining Shumoski in double figures for the sixth consecutive game was Shelby Rance (So., Central Columbia HS/ Bloomsburg, PA). Rance scored 14 points, pulled down six rebounds and had a pair of blocked shots. Rance has now reached double figures in scoring in 12 of 13 games this season including the last 11 straight games, while Shumoski has performed the feat 11 times in 13 games including the last six straight. In the last four games, the Devils dynamic duo of Shumoski and Rance have accounted for nearly 57% of USP's offense. The Devils led wire-to-wire, building a 22-point lead at the half 41-19 by shooting 44.7% from the field (17-38) and holding the Lions to just six field goals in 23 shot attempts (26.1%). USP's defense also held GCU's Lauren Meyer, the CACC's leading scorer to just one field goal in the first half. (Meyer would finish the game with 22 points - 14 in the second half). A pair of 9-0 runs with a three-point field goal by GCU's Kamilah Bergman sandwiched in between provided the impetus for the Devils in the period. With USP leading 8-4, Lori Wernik (So., Lower Cape May Regional HS/Cape May, NJ) nailed two straight baseline jumpers and Rashanna Edwards (So., West Windsor-Plainsboro HS/Plainsboro, NJ) added a layup off a Wernik pass and was fouled. Edwards converted the free throw and the Devils had a double-digit lead, 15-4 just 4:50 into the game. Shumoski's jumper completed the first 9-0 run before Bergman's three pulled the Lions back within 10, 17-7 at the 12:19 mark. USP then pulled further ahead with their second 9-0 run with Hayley Lentz (Fr., Wilson Area HS/Easton, PA) providing four of the Devils nine points during the stretch. (Lentz added a basket in the second half to finish the game with six points.) After Meyer hit a pair of free throws to make the score 26-9, USP ran off seven straight points to have their biggest lead of the half, 33-9 with 6:32 remaining. By halves end, the Lions had shaved just two points off the Devils lead, as USP went into the lockerroom up 41-29. Shumoski came out on fire in the second half, scoring eight of the Devils first 10 points, including two three-point plays as the Devils continued to lead by at least 20 points throughout the half. Late in the game, the Devils got a pair of layups from Mary Beth Christian (Fr., Villa Joseph Marie/Warrington, PA) (5 points) and a short jump hook from Jan Kalafut (Jr, Bishop Hoban HS/Wilkes Barre, PA) to go up by 30, their largest margin 68-38 with 3:49 left. The Lions then scored the final nine points of the game to make the final score 68-47. USP is on the road again for their next contest, an afternoon matinee at Nyack College on Saturday, January 15, 2005.