AURORA, Ill. - Benedictine University's women's basketball team combined sharp shooting from three-point range and a tenacious effort on the offensive glass, leading to an 83-58 rout over rival Aurora University in the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) opening game for both teams. The win improved the Eagles to 3-2 overall, while the Spartans fell to 1-3 on the year.

 

Much like a great thoroughbred race horse, Benedictine led the game wire-to-wire. Junior guard Karyn Conerty (10 points) buried a three-point basket out of the gate, as a foreshadowing of things to come. Freshman reserve Jillian Lipman (8 points) canned the Eagles last field goal – also a three pointer – in the waning moments of the game. A Courtney Pishkur free throw a few moments later gave her team its biggest lead of the game – 29 points (83-54) – before it crossed the finish line with the big win.

 

Conerty and Lipman's three-point baskets were two of the nine made (9-of-18) by the Eagles in the game. Freshman Colleen Forkin was 3-for-5 (to account for all of her nine points), while Conerty, Lipman and Monika Krozel (10 points) each made two long-range shots apiece. Conversely, AU made just 4-of-17 from beyond the arc as a team.

 

But the most glaring difference in favor of Benedictine was in rebounding, where it out-boarded the Spartans by 22 rebounds (58-36). The vast majority of those caroms came on the offensive end where the Eagles pulled down 28 rebounds (to 10 by AU on its misses).

 

Benedictine's leading scorer – junior forward Jenn Bren (16 points) – was also one the team's best at glass cleaning against the Spartans. Bren had eight rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. Sophomore guard Tracey Walsh (14 points) had a game-leading nine boards.

 

Bren had a team-high four assists. Krozel led Benedictine with three steals.

 

The Eagles will next play at Dominican University on Wednesday (Dec. 2) at 7:00 p.m.