Basketball

University of Scranton 85, Delaware Valley 60

SCRANTON (PA) - Delaware Valley College sophomore Shannon O'Neill scored a career-high 31 points, including 24 in the second half, but it wasn't enough as nationally-ranked University of Scranton downed the Aggies, 85-60, in a Freedom Conference game.

The Lady Royals, ranked second in the latest D3hoops.com poll, improved to 17-1 overall and 4-3 in the Freedom Conference while Delaware Valley fell to 12-6 overall and 4-3 in conference play.

O'Neill's 31 points tied her for the 11th-highest single-game scoring total in school history. The point guard hit 10 of 20 shots from the field, including a 5-for-9 showing from 3-point land, and sank all six of her free throws attempts. She also added five rebounds, five assists and three steals in 35 minutes of action.

However, it was all Scranton from start to finish as the Lady Royals jumped out to a 37-19 halftime lead and the Aggies never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way. Delaware Valley hit just six of 34 attempts (17.6 percent) from the field in the first 20 minutes and finished shooting 29 percent for the evening.

O'Neill was joined in double figures by Kate McCarthy as the senior came off the bench to hit for 10 points. The top three scorers on the Aggies - Rachel Joyce, Juli McGowan and Moira Donohue - teamed for just 11 points on the evening, 32 below their combined season averages.

All-American Taryn Mellody scored 25 points in 22 minutes, including 17 in the second half, for the Lady Royals. Tiffaney Williamson added a season-high 19 in the victory.