WATERBURY, Conn.  – The 2023-24 season for Post University Women's Basketball and the first Division II game for new Head Coach Courtney Burns saw the Eagles take on a nationally-ranked Assumption University team at home on Sunday afternoon in the Drubner Center. Ranked sixth in the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association Poll and seventh in the D2CSC Media Poll, the Greyhounds used a big second quarter to pull away for the 80-59 victory over Post.  

THE BASICS

Post University 59, #7/#6 Assumption University 80  

Post University (0-1)

#7/#6 Assumption University (1-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Two early three balls by the Eagles from graduate guard TiJanae Simmons and graduate point guard Dede Stevenson helped them take a 10-7 lead over the Greyhounds just over halfway through the first quarter. The three-point lead would be short-lived before Assumption took the lead with a 6-0 run all courtesy of free throws to go in front, 15-12, and lead by five, 19-14, after one.
 
A 6-0 stretch to start the second quarter featuring four points from graduate forward Trinity Bravo helped bring Post to within one, 21-20, and then junior guard Naj White's three-point play with 6:02 remaining in the half put the Eagles back in front, 25-24. From there it would be all Assumption the rest of the first half, who opened up a 16-point halftime lead, 44-28, after shooting 11-for-20 from the floor in the second quarter.
 
Graduate shooting guard Maya Klein would hit a pair of threes in the opening minutes of the third quarter, but the fast-flying Greyhound offense would never allow Post to pull to within more than 14 points in the affair. The Assumption lead would stretch to as many as 26 points with 9:38 left in the fourth quarter as they would take the game handedly from the Eagles in the 2023-24 opener for teams, 80-59.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Graduate forward Taina Pagan led the way with 12 points and 14 rebounds on 4-of-10 shooting for her first double-double of the season
• Junior forward Marina Callahan led Assumption with 26 points and 13 rebounds on 10-of-15 shooting
• Post University finished the game with 17 turnovers leading to 13 points off turnovers for the Greyhounds
• In second-chance points, Post University dominated the category, outscoring Assumption by a 22-point margin, 26-4, while outrebounding the Greyhounds, 56-34

WHO'S NEXT
Post University will close out their two-game homestand to start the season with a Wednesday matchup against Queens College scheduled for 5:00 PM. Although winners of their last three head-to-heads, the last two victories for the Eagles have come by a combined three points with Jamie Waldron playing the hero last season with her game-winning layup with six seconds left in the fourth to give Post a 61-60 road victory.