EWING, NJ – The TCNJ women’s basketball team hosted Stockton in conference play on Wednesday night and sank a season-best 26 free throws to defeat the Ospreys 68-52. The win moves the Lions to 4-2 on the season and 2-0 in the NJAC, while the loss drops Stockton to 4-3 and 1-1 in conference play.
Three TCNJ players surpassed double-digit points in the win, tied for 14 players each Nina Branchizio And Katie Fricker — Grace Kowalski joined the duo at 12. Branchizio contributed a game-high four assists, while Fricker and Kowalski shared the lead in steals with three each.
Despite the final result, it was the Ospreys who took an early 7-2 lead just under two minutes into the game. The lead was short-lived, however, as a jumper from Branchizio kicked off what would lead to a 16-2 run by the Lions, capped by back-to-back threes from Branchizio and Fricker to cut the five-point deficit to convert a lead of 18-9 with 1:20 left.
Stockton stopped the bleeding with a jumper from Chichi Wokocha, but it was Fricker and Branchizio – the senior was responsible for 15 of TCNJ’s 22 points in the frame – who struck again, this time with a combined 4-4 from the charity stripe, to end the game First lead 22-11.
The Lions’ lead remained in the teens for much of the second quarter before a 7-0 run over the final 2:24 gave TCNJ a 20-point lead heading into halftime. Amanda Baylock started the run with her first collegiate points at the free throw line before hitting a three-pointer on the Lions’ next possession to make it 41-23. The Ospreys’ offensive woes continued into the final 60 seconds, in a quarter in which they shot just 26.67% before freebies Cassidy Brown gave TCNJ its largest lead of the night at 43-23.
The story remained the same in the second half as Stockton cut the lead to 19 after Skylar Fowles successfully converted ahead of Kowalski and the score was 1-1 Myah Hourigan Hutton combined to end the frame with a 5-0 run and give the Lions a 57-33 lead with ten remaining.
TCNJ was only able to score twice in the fourth quarter, but did enough work at the free throw line – the Lions were 8-for-10 in the quarter – to maintain its lead en route to a 68-52 win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
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The transition game was the difference in Wednesday’s game, with TCNJ outscoring the Ospreys in both turnover points (18-5) and fastbreak points (21-2).
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The Lions’ 26 free throws made are the most in a single game since they made 27 against Moravian in the 2021-22 season.
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Branchizio’s 14 points extended her double-digit winning streak to six. The senior has scored at least 10 points in every game so far.
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Four different TCNJ players grabbed at least five boards – seven times faster than Hourigan-Hutton – helping the Lions beat Stockton 41-34
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