SCRANTON, Pa. – The Marymount University women's basketball opened the New Year with a 69-53 victory over Marywood University to open Atlantic East Conference play.

Freshman Ava Achtyl led the team with a break-out effort, scoring 19 points and pulling down seven rebounds. In all, four Saints reach double-figures in the game.

Marymount opened up a strong lead in the first quarter, with an 8-2 run, paced by four points from Achtyl.

After Marywood fought back to make the score 8-7, junior Symantha Shackelford knocked down a three-pointer to spark a 14-2 run to end the quarter.

Sophomore Chandler Eddleton scored six in the spurt to pace the team, as the Saints took a 22-9 edge into the second quarter.

The Pacers took control in the second quarter, fighting back to tie the game, 22-22, and eventually taking a 24-22 lead.

The teams played an even quarter from there, but Achtyl scored two layups, sandwiching a layup from sophomore Terra Dzambo, to give MU a 32-27 lead at halftime.

At the break, Shackelford and Achtyl tied for a team-high eight points, while Eddleton added seven.

Marymount started off strong again in the second half, pushing its lead to double-digits, 38-27, on a layup from Achtyl. The advantage held strong through the third quarter, as the Saints used a 14-6 frame to take a 46-33 lead into the fourth.

A three-pointer from sophomore Caroline Catterton gave the Saints their largest lead of the night, 57-37, with 5:23 to play, but Marywood came back strong with 11-straight points to cut the advantage down to nine.

The Saints did not give, never letting Marywood get any closer than nine. The team converted on 9-of-10 shooting at the free-throw line in the final 33 seconds to close the game.

Eddleton finished the game with 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Shackelford and sophomore Anna Schools added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Marymount will return home to the Converse Family Fieldhouse on Wednesday, January 12th for its next game, playing host to Centenary University in Atlantic East action. The game is set for 6 p.m.