TOWSON, Md. – The Shenandoah University women's basketball team opened up its 2017-18 season Wednesday evening with a 72-39 blowout victory at Goucher College.
Shenandoah (1-0) shot a sizzling 69 percent (11-for-16) in jumping out to a 25-8 lead after one and then used a stellar defensive effort to extend the lead to 43-15 by halftime.
Goucher (0-1) missed eight of its 10 shots from the field in the second stanza, committed five turnovers (off which SU scored nine points) and saw the Hornets grab 15 of the 24 rebounds in the quarter.
Coach Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft's club kept up the pressure in the second half, holding the Gophers to 10 points in the third period as the Hornets pushed the lead out to 36, 61-25, as the fourth quarter began.
SU led throughout, with senior Kirstyn Arcata giving her club the initial lead thanks to a fastbreak layup 49 seconds into the game and starting a 10-2 run in the process.
Sophomore Ashley Stone gave the Hornets their first double-digit lead with a 3-pointer at the 6:31 mark of the first. From this point on, Shenandoah's lead never dipped below eight points. After Jordan Sondrol canned the second of her five field goals on the night 2:17 after Stone's
'3', SU held a least a 10-point lead the rest of the way.
Sondrol, who led all scorers with 18 points, ignited a 27-9 run to complete the first half with a jumper at the 2:51 mark of the first.
Smeltzer-Kraft's club scored 11 of the final 13 points of the half.
A 14-2 run to start the third ended any thoughts of a Goucher comeback.
With a 40-point cushion following a Brianna Turner field goal at 4:29 of the third, the Hornets were able to let off the gas and coast home to the 33-point win.
Arcata added 15 to back up Sondrol with Stone chipping in nine, McKenzie Mathis eight and Sarah Donley six with six assists.
Turner had eight points off the bench.
"Great start to the season for this group," Smeltzer-Kraft said. "It's going to be about balanced scoring for us and we got a great group effort tonight."
The women continue this road swing with a 2 p.m. non-league contest Saturday at Averett.
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