EWING, N.J – The TCNJ women's basketball team got off to a fast start against Hunter on Monday night at Packer Hall, and the Lions cruised to a 78-34 victory in non-conference action. All 14 TCNJ players who saw action made at least one field goal. TCNJ has now won three consecutive games after dropping its first three contests of the season.
 
The Lions jumped out to a 12-point lead in the first quarter, 18-6, on the strength of four three pointers and seven different Lions scoring points. None of the seven players made more than one field goal, while Nina Branchizio, Julia Setaro, Isabella Cafaro and Arianna McCleod all made three pointers. The Lions led by eight at the end of the first quarter, 18-10. The variety in scoring options carried through the night as the Lions outscored the Hawks, 47-9, off the bench.
 
The Lions opened the second quarter on a 15-4 run over a span of 3:48 to extend its lead from 18-10 to 33-14. That run was fueled by TCNJ making six of its first eight shots from the field and three of its first four from beyond the arc. Setaro and Cafaro each had five points for the Lions on the run, including a three pointer each. Sydney Blum also had a three pointer during that stretch.
 
Nikki Alexatos and Kaitlyn Deiter each made layups in the final minute of the period to send the Lions into the half leading the Hawks, 39-23.
 
The beat went on in the third quarter. TCNJ held Hunter to just 30.8 percent shooting in the third period as it outscored the Hawks, 20-9. The lead ballooned to 28 points late in the quarter on Izzy Leazier's driving layup with 3:36 to play, and it was 59-32 at the end of the period.
 
The Lions put the cap on the strong night by scoring the final 19 points of the game in the fourth quarter. After Hunter's Erin Cosio hit a jumper to make it 59-34 with 8:58 remaining, TCNJ held Hunter without a field goal on any of its final 11 attempts.
 
TCNJ forced 21 turnovers and scored 21 points off those turnovers. The Lions never trailed. Alexis Voorhees and Jordyn Herwood each scored their first career points.
 
TCNJ returns to action on Wednesday night when it heads back into NJAC play at Rutgers-Camden at 6 p.m.