STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - Freshman guard Sarah Schriner led the Lady Barons to their third victory of the season, a 66-53 win over the Wooster Fighting Scots. Schriner's stellar scoring performance matched with solid support from sophomore guard Illiana Gonzales came together for the Lady Barons third straight win of the season.   

The Lady Barons opened out the game faced with offensive talent on the other end of the court as Wooster shooter Sydney Grier nailed three 3-pointers in the first half. As they began a fresh half, shutting down Grier became the immediate goal.  

Defensively, the Lady Barons did just that.   

"We knew going in that she was a strong player," Head Coach Suzy Delaney said.  "We were a little slow on the close out time, not adjusting to her properly, but we did a better job of getting there quicker in the second half."   

Offensively, Schriner led the charge, picking up the offensive pace and working to keep the Lady Barons ahead.  

"Schriner got us going and gave us a huge lift on offense in the first half by penetrating and making nice moves to the hole. She is certainly coming into her own and really feels confident and she showed us that tonight, whether it was driving to the hole or shooting a 3-pointer," Delaney said. "Tonight she continued to do the things that we know she can do."  

Gonzales was quick to support Schriner on offense, especially moving into the second half.  
"Gonzales really stepped up in the second half especially," Delaney said."I was proud of her effort.  She also nailed some big foul shots."  

Gonzales finished the game with 17 points. Junior guard Stephanie Pahren led the Lady Barons in 
rebounds, finishing with nine  by the end of the game. Sophomore Katie Rhodes also worked hard for the win.

"Katie had another solid performance off the bench," Delaney said.  "And we can always count on Lacey Huck for a solid performance."  

Faced with chemistry and drive, the Wooster Scots could not muster enough power to pull out with a win. At the beginning of the second half, the Scots shaved the Franciscan lead down to a 4pt margin, but the defense rallied.    

"I'm proud of the way we finished the game.  We never relinquished the lead," Delaney said.  "They were getting good looks, but we did a pretty good job defensively, so they weren't falling." 

Looking forward, the 66-53 win finishes off the pre-break season on a positive note. Not only was Wooster a team that Franciscan has never beaten before, but the team chemistry is coming together. 

"I'm really proud of the girls for where they are and for how they're continuing to work hard and grow and challenge each other," Delaney said. "We're looking forward to having a break and having time with our families to celebrate Christmas, but then to get back at it after break."  

The Lady Barons next game will be on New Year's Eve - December 31 at 2pm at Geneva College.