Murray and Howard Make History in Season Opener

SCRANTON, PA - The Vaughn College Lady Warriors basketball team opened up their season on the road against the Penn State University (PSU) Scranton Nittany Lions. The Lady Warriors have not played a regular season game since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

There was a lot of nerves for the newly assembled team and the players that participated. Both teams struggled to find their rhythm in the first half. Freshman forward Tehilyah Murray (Rochester, NY) hit a deep three-point shot at the end of the second quarter for the Lady Warriors to give them a 25-20 lead heading into the break.

The pace picked up in the second half. It was a fun and exciting back-and-forth-game as the Lady Warriors and the Nittany Lions traded offensive baskets. At the end of the third quarter the Lady Warriors were able to create separation and take a commanding 12-point lead. The Lady Warriors expanded their lead in the fourth quarter. They would go on to defeat the Nittany Lions in their season opener by a final score 70-54. 

The Lady Warriors had two special performances from Rochester native Tehiiyah Murray and Eliyah Howard from Texarkana, TX.  Murray led all players with 35 points. She also pulled down 14 rebounds, had seven steals and three assists. Howard finished the game with 33 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals. Murray and Howard became the first duo to record a 30-point double-double in the same game in Vaughn program history.

Kate Savannah Ospina (Bethpage, NY) played extremely well in her collegiate debut. Ospina grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out an assist and scored her first points in the victory.