The Eastern Mennonite University women's basketball team improved to 6-2 and will carry a five-game winning streak into the 2008 portion of the season as the Lady Royals defeated Shenandoah University 71-60 Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg, Va.

"We played our tempo in the first half and then their tempo in the second," commented EMU head coach Kevin Griffin. "We got into foul trouble late and had too many turnovers. Shenandoah forced us to adjust and maked us work harder in the second half."

The game was a tale of two halves for the Lady Royals as EMU scored 15 unanswered points before the Hornets got on the board to start the game. Junior forward Carolyn Riley (Warrenton, Va./Liberty-Bealeton) scored 17 of her team high 23 points in the first half and was 6-of-9 from the field. Senior center Jolene Kratz (Telford, Pa./Christopher Dock) had another seven points in the half for EMU which also shot 46 percent (15-of-32) to the Hornets' 40 percent (11-of-27) from the field in the game's first 20 minutes.

EMU entered the break with a 17-point cushion but the visiting Hornets responded from the opening posession in the second half. Alexis Hargbol dropped in two points with Katherine Flint and Caity Gradinski also adding buckets for SU. A double-digit lead quickly dwindled to nine points on another bucket by Hargbol with 16:15 on the clock.

Hargbol led the Hornets with 22 points, nine rebounds, along with three assists. Flint was the other double-digit scorer for SU with 12 points and a team high six assists. "Hargbol is just a terrific player, she was a force out there this afternoon," added Griffin.

The Lady Royals seemed to respond to the challenge and began to push the Hornets' defense as a trey by senior guard Dana Powell (Roanoke, Va./Northside) and baskets by freshman guard Brittany Snyder (Raphine, Va./Riverheads) and sophomore guard Ebony Dennis (Baltimore, Md./Western) increased the EMU lead to 15.

Shenandoah continued to battle as the Hornets traded baskets with EMU down the stretch. SU closed the gap to 11 points but the EMU defense did not break and held on for the win.

EMU shot only 33 percent (9-of-27) in the second half with SU hitting 50 percent (13-of-26) from the field with the Hornets outscoring the Lady Royals 34-28.

Kratz had 11 points with Dennis adding nine points, five rebounds, and three steals. Sophomore center Miranda Wolfe (Verona, Va./Fort Defiance) had a team leading six rebounds while Powell came off the bench to add another eight points to the Lady Royal attack.

"We did what we wanted to do overall," explained Griffin. "We put pressure on their guards and for the most part kept the game at our level of pace. There was some unforced turnovers that we need to correct but we were still able to get to the free throw line while also outrebounding them (37-33)."

Following Christmas Break the Lady Royals will play host to the Maroons of Roanoke College on Friday, January 4, at 7 p.m.