Worcester, Mass. (December 30) -- In the final non-conference game of the season for the No. 12 ranked Assumption women's basketball, the Hounds led wire-to-wire in a 69-38 victory over visiting Queens College at Laska Gym. The Hounds are ranked 12th in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II Top-25 Poll.

Assumption jumped out to an early 8-3 lead with 16:22 left in the opening half following a three-pointer from junior Gabrielle Gibson (Amityville, N.Y./Copiague). The Hounds pushed the lead into double figures at 21-11 on a fastbreak layup by Gibson and extended that edge to 24-11 with 1:54 remaining on a corner three-pointer from junior Katy Howard (Medway, Mass.). Holding the Knights to just four points over the last eight minutes, the Hounds took a 26-13 lead into halftime. In the half, Assumption held Queens to just five field goals and forced 15 turnovers. Senior All-American candidate Kelly Meredith (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) led the Hounds with nine points in the first half, while Nicole Caggiano had 10 of the 13 points for the visitors.

The second half was more of the same as Assumption began the period on a 12-4 run, capped by a fastbreak layup from Meredith off a pass from Courtney Donovan (Sagamore Beach, Mass./Bourne), to take a 38-17 edge and force a Queens timeout with 15:47 left. Leading 41-21, the Hounds used back-to-back threes from Howard to extend the lead to 47-21 before Caggiano converted a three-point play to end a 9-0 Assumption scoring run with 12:43 remaining.

Assumption put together another 10-0 scoring burst midway thru the period and with 8:06 on the clock, the Greyhounds were in complete control with a 31-point lead at 59-28. The Hounds never let the Knights get closer than 26 the rest of the way to complete non-conference play at 3-1.

For the game, the Hounds allowed just 38 points for Queens, the least points allowed by Assumption this season.

Howard led the Assumption offense with 20 points, including four three-pointers, along with 15 points from Meredith and 10 points from Gibson. Caggiano was the lone Queens player in double figures with 19 points.

With the win, the Hounds improve to 10-1 overall and have now won 16 of their last 17 regular-season games, while Queens falls to 1-10 overall and has now lost five straight.

Assumption is back in action on Tuesday, January 3rd as the Hounds resume Northeast-10 play by traveling to No. 1 ranked Bentley University. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Dana Center in Waltham, Mass.