Wade Scores 40 to Lead Gwynedd Mercy Over F&M 75-69 in Women's Basketball

by Sports Information
11/26/01

LANCASTER, PA -- Gwynedd Mercy College guard Mary Anne Wade scored a school record 40 points as the Griffins (4-0, 0-0 Pennsylvania Athletic Conference) outlasted a second half comeback from Franklin & Marshall (3-1, 1-0 Centennial Conference) to claim a 75-69 win.

Wade, who shot 11-of-22 from the floor and 15-of-16 at the foul line, went cold in the second half following an opening half in which she connected for 22 points on seven-of-nine shooting. However, she would go to the foul-line 10 times in the second half, converting nine attempts, for 18 points as the Griffins survived an F&M rally to hand the Diplomats their first loss of the season.

Down 41-28 at the half, F&M co-captains Amy Kreitz (Sr., Allentown, PA/Salisbury) and Lauren Howanski (Sr., Gap, PA/Pequea Valley) would lead a second half comeback which saw the Diplomats cut the Gwynedd Mercy lead to two with six minutes to play.

Kreitz shot three-of-12 from the field in the second half and knocked down six-of-10 free-throw opportunities for 13-second half points. She finished the game with five field goals on 20 attempts and eight-of-15 from the foul line for a team high 19 points.

Howanksi, who moved within 54 points of joining Kreitz with 1,000 career points, shot six-of-seven from the field, including two-of-two from three point range, in the second half for 14 points. Overall, she added a three-of-four performance at the foul line in the first half to tally 17 points.

Center Amy Abernathy (So., Far Hills, NJ/American School-Paris) registered the game's only double-double as she poured in 16 points and grabbed 13 boards. In addition, the 6-0 center tallied team highs by blocking four Gwynedd Mercy shot attempts and slapping away four steals.

The key to the game for F&M was turnovers and foul-shots as the Diplomats turned the ball over 32 times, including 17 times in the first half, and put the Griffins on the free-throw line 19 times in the second half. Overall, Gwynedd Mercy shot 86.2 percent at the "charity stripe" for the game and 16-of-19 in the second half, while F&M drained 15-of-25 free-throw opportunities for a 60 percent average.

F&M will return to action on Wednesday against #1 nationally ranked Messiah on November 28th at 6:00 p.m. The team will then play its first road game of the year on Saturday, as the Diplomats will visit Allentown and the Mules of Muhlenberg College for their second Centennial Conference game of the year. Opening tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.