Fredericksburg, Va.-- The University of Mary Washington women's basketball team defeated Southern Virginia 73-38 on Thursday from the Anderson Center. Junior foward Aubrey Howland lead the Eagles with 12 points, as the Eagles outscored the Knights 40-17 in the second half. The Eagles improve to 11-5, 4-4 CAC for the year.

The Knights got on the scoreboard first with a Tatiana Monsen layup on the first possesion of the game. Howland answered with a jumper of her own to tie the game up just minutes into the game. This would be how the game went early on.

Neither team would grab more than a three point lead, as the game went back and forth early on. Southern Virginia took their biggest lead of the game at 9-6 after a Shannon Romito jump shot with 15:00 on the clock. UMW would answer with a 6-0 run of their own to take a 12-9 lead. Aby Diop had four points on the run, as Sarah Listenbee added the other two. 

The Eagles would grab a two point lead at 19-17 thanks to a couple of Howland free throws with five minutes remaining in the half. Monsen struck back with a layup to tie the game at 19-19. 

UMW closed the first half on a 12-0 run after the game was tied at 21 with 3:12 left on the clock. Caitlin Ciniero started the flurry with a layup. Howland and freshman Brianne Comden would hit back to back layups to up the lead to six. Erin Drumheller added two freebies, followed by another Ciniero jumper. Claire Haeuptle closed the half with a jumper to take a 33-21 lead into the break.

Howland had eight first half points to pace the Eagles, while Ciniero added six in the opening stanza. UMW forced 14 first half turnovers. 

The Eagles would open the second half just like the first. The Eagles jumped out to a 11-1 run over the opening five plus minutes to take a 43-22 lead. 

UMW grabbed their largest lead of the game after a Ciniero layup with 7:53 remaining, to make the lead 63-28. 

The Knights answered back cutting the lead to 31, but their run was foiled by a Howland jumper with 5:48 remaining. 

Southern Virginia got the deficit to 29, at 65-36, but the Eagles closed the game on a 8-2 run, capped off by a Molly Garthwaite layup to win 73-38. Mary Washington outscored the Knights 40-17 in the second half to cruise to the victory.

UMW was lead by Howland and her 12 points. She added five rebounds and three assists. Ciniero tied her career high in points with ten. She also chipped in six boards. Senior Sam Partonen stuffed the stat sheet with two points, six rebounds, five assists, one block and three steals. The Eagles scored 12 points off of 24 turnovers, while grabbing 15 second chance points.

"Our defense helped lead to our offense," head coach Deena Applebury said follwing the game. "Every game is a big game for us, no matter who the opponent is," Ciniero stated after the game. She added, "Everyone is improving and we keep progressing as a team."

The Eagles next opponent is at CAC leader #11 York College on Saturday, January 25th. Tipoff is at 1:00 p.m from the White Rose city.