ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. - Freshman guard
Gwen Alberici made the most of her first collegiate start, racking up 29 points and eight steals to lead the Drew University women's basketball team to an 88-52 victory over tournament host St. Mary's (Md.) on the second and final day of the One Love Invitational on Sunday.
Alberici scored all of her points through the first three quarters, including 24 in the first half alone. For the game, she was a red-hot 9-for-10 from the floor, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and 8-for-10 at the foul line. Her performance earned her a spot on the all-tournament team.
Alberici's backcourt mate, freshman guard
Joey Meyers also turned in a big night with 21 points and six rebounds while shooting 9-for-9 at the foul line. Junior center
Erin Frederick added 10 point and five assists for Drew, which had 16 different players enter the game and nine different Rangers score a point. Senior guard
Aly Axman contributed five points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Drew's 88 points tied the sixth-highest offensive output in program history and were the most by the Rangers since a 92-60 victory over Saint Elizabeth on Nov. 16, 2014. Drew forced St. Mary's (0-2) into 25 turnovers, which it converted into 30 points. The Rangers also utlilized their transition game, scoring 25 fast-break points.
The visitors blew the game open with a 20-2 run in the first quarter, when Alberici posted 13 points and four steals to help stake the Rangers to a 26-15 lead. Alberici dropped another 11 points in the second quarter, when Drew outscored the Seahawks 25-17 and closed the period on a 6-0 run to assume a 43-25 halftime advantage.
The Blue and Green posted their third straight 25-point quarter in the third stanza, outscoring the hosts 26-14 to open up a 77-46 lead. Head Coach
John Olenowski was able to go deep into the bench in the fourth quarter, when 14 different players saw the court.
Drew returns to action on Friday, when it hosts Plattsburgh State at 6 p.m. in the opening game of the Larry Horner C'40 Rose City Classic.
