The top-ranked University of Mary Washington men's basketball team shot a blistering 54% from the floor en route to a 90-68 season-opening victory over Marywood University in the first round of the Hilton Scranton Invitational on Friday night in Scranton, Pa. Junior All-America guard
Kye Robinson led the way with 30 points and nine rebounds for the Eagles, who extend their active school record win streak to 13.
UMW opened a 12-point lead by halftime. Robinson and sophomore
Preston White each scored four in the opening minutes, as the Eagles built an 8-2 lead early. Marywood was able to draw to within 10-9 with 13:10 left, but sophomore
Shane Crissman answered with a three pointer, before Robinson connected on a pair of free throws to return the margin to six.Â
Crissman then hit another three, and the Eagles used a layup from freshman
Max Lawson to extend the margin to 25-13 with 8:27 left. Baskets from sophomore Joshua Seworder and senior
Jay Randall kept the lead at 14, but Marywood made several attempts to cut into their margin. Five points from Robinson kept the Eagles ahead by double figures at the half, 39-27.
In the second half, UMW opened with three pointers from junior
Ulysses Young and Robinson, as the Eagles continued to shoot well. After a Randall basket with 12:31 to go to push the lead to 60-42, Young took over with a pair of three pointers, and Crissman followed with his third of the night, and with 9:58 left, UMW's lead stood at 69-48. Made baskets from
Jackson Wallace and
Colin Mitchell extended the margin to 26, and five straight from Lawson down the stretch pushed the lead past 30, at 85-54. UMW held on down the stretch for the comfortable win.
Robinson led the Eagles with 30 points on 10-15 shooting, making 2-3 three point attempts and 6-6 free throws. Young scored 16 points on 6-8 shooting, including 4-5 three point tries, and Crissman made 3-6 three point attempts en route to nine points. Robinson led with nine rebounds, and Young led with six assists.
UMW went 35-65 from the floor (53.8%), making 12-26 from three-point range, and went 8-11 from the free throw line. Marywood shot 27-61 (44.3%), making 10-34 three point attempts, and went 4-6 from the free throw line. UMW led in rebounds, 38-28, and had 20 assists against 10 turnovers.
The Eagles will be back in action on Saturday, as they face host University of Scranton at 4:00 p.m.
