Box Score The Dominican University women's basketball team opened the 2017-18 season on Wednesday night, cruising to a 79-34 victory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over the host Mount Mary University Blue Angels. Four scored in double-figures for the Stars in the winning effort, paced by freshman
Stephenee Huggans who poured in a game-high 18 points in her collegiate debut.
The Stars led from start to finish, shooting 10-for-19 from the field while scoring 23 points in the opening quarter while holding the Blue Angels to nine points and forcing ten turnovers in the quarter. Freshman
Alisha Markley scored eight of her 15 points in the first quarter, shooting 3-for-5 from the field, including knocking down two of three from long distance.
The Dominican offense slowed a bit in the second quarter, shooting just 35-percent from the field but the Stars managed to extend their lead to 25 points, 39-14, at the break.
In the third quarter, Dominican's front court took over, with
Timiya Ray and
Katie Uzoras combining to score 12 of the Stars' 17 points in the quarter before Uzoras helped ice the game in the fourth with seven points and four rebounds.
After Huggans' 18 points, Uzoras and Ray finished with 17 points apiece and pulled down 14 and 12 rebounds respectively as the Stars finished the night with a pair of double-doubles.
"It was nice to see all of our kids find a way to contribute," commented Gabby Johnson, the Stars' sixth-year head coach. "I would like to see us defend and rebound better but I'm proud of our young team."
The Stars shot 46-percent (35-75) from the field, scoring 79 points in the season opener for the first time since scoring 93 points in the 2013-14 season opener, a 105-93 loss to Knox College.
For the Blue Angels, Becky Onan scored a team-high 11 points, shooting 4-for-16 from the field.
Dominican, 1-0 on the season, returns to the court on Saturday, traveling to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to take on the Kalamazoo College Hornets at 2:00 p.m. ET. The Stars then open the 2017-18 home slate on Tuesday, November 21, hosting the Albion College Britons for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff in the Igini Sports Forum.
