SALISBURY, Md. – Behind a last-minute layup by
Kayla Nieberlein, the Salisbury University women's basketball team muscled its way to a fifth straight win, downing the Marymount (Va.) Saints 51-48 on Saturday afternoon at the Maggs Physical Activities Center.
The Sea Gulls controlled game flow early, going up 14-7 at the 2:27 mark of the first quarter on a layup by
Abby Plaugher. The Saints settled down from there and got back within 16-12 at the end of the first on a Kelly Ceroll tip-in.
In the first minute of the second, back-to-back triples by
Nicole Miller boosted the SU margin to 22-12. The Sea Gulls went up by as many as 11 in the period, but MMU closed the half on a 9-0 run, using a Kaylah Barr layup to cut the margin to 26-24 at the break.
Salisbury burst out of the gate to open the third, going on a 10-0 run over the first five minutes, capped by a Nieberlein bucket that made it 36-24. The Saints punched back, though, with the final eight points of the quarter to get within 36-32 headed into the final period.
MMU took their first lead with a 7-2 run to open the fourth, going up 39-38 on a triple by Samantha Bulik. The teams traded the next four baskets, with a Miller layup reestablishing SU control at 42-41, and the two sides danced evenly at 46-46 and 48-48 as the game reached its final minute.
Running an inbounds play with 26 seconds to go, Miller triggered it in to
Tori Rumbaugh, who fed Nieberlein in the right post, and Nieberlein backed down her defender before bursting to the right and laying it in to put the Sea Gulls up 50-48.
SU forced a Saint turnover on the other end, and Rumbaugh made 1-of-2 free throws in the final seconds to make it 51-48. MMU had two looks from distance at the end of the game but both clanged off the iron, sealing the deal for the home side.
GAME NOTES
- Nicole Miller paced the Sea Gulls offensively with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, plus two rebounds.
- Kayla Nieberlein chipped in 12 points, including the game-winning layup inside the final half-minute.
- Alex Bull added 12 points and five rebounds of her own.
- Abby Plaugher came off the bench for 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and three boards.
- Tori Rumbaugh hauled in a team-leading six rebounds, swiped three steals, and dished out two assists, including the game-winner to Nieberlein.
- The Sea Gulls shot 36.7 percent (22-of-60) from the floor and made three of their four free throw attempts for the game.
- Salisbury won the turnover margin by seven, forcing 24 Marymount turnovers.
- SU outrebounded the Saints 36-34, including 15-11 on the offensive end.
- With five straight dubs, the Sea Gulls are off to their longest winning streak since taking seven in a row late in the 2021-22 season.
The Sea Gulls will return to action next Saturday with a home bout against Penn State Harrisburg. Opening tip from Maggs Gym is set for 3 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming) and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 201 conference championships, and have produced 50 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
