The Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team picked up its second-straight win to open the 2022-23 campaign, defeating Mount Saint Joseph University 68-55 in the opening contest of the Lauren Hill Classic in Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday night.

CWRU improved to 2-0 overall on the season, while the Lions dropped to 0-2.

First-year guard/forward Emily Plachta led the team with 16 points, shooting six-of-13 from the floor, including four-of-nine from three-point range. Plachta added six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the game.

Three other Spartans scored in double figures on Friday night, including junior forward Kayla Characklis and senior guard/forward Isabella Mills, who scored 14 points apiece. Mills led the Spartans with nine rebounds in the game as well. Junior forward Preet Gill came off the bench to score 10 points in the game.

CWRU jumped out to an early lead behind a 10-point outburst in the first quarter from Plachta. The Spartans led by as many as 11 points during the frame, going ahead 18-7 on a three-pointer by Plachta that capped off a 9-0 CWRU run and closed out the first period with a 22-12 lead. Mount St. Joseph pulled back within eight points early in the second quarter, but another three from Plachta with 6:40 left in the half pushed the lead back to double digits, 27-16. With 3:36 left, the Lions cut the Spartans' lead to four, 33-29, but CWRU closed out the half with an 11-0 run, including threes by sophomore guard Nyah Moore and Mills in the final minute, to take a 44-29 lead into halftime.

The outcome of the game was never in doubt in the second half, with the Spartans maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the final 20 minutes of the game, and going ahead by as many as 19 points after a three by junior guard Margaret Terry hit a three to put CWRU in front 52-33 with 6:02 left in the third.

CWRU finished the game shooting 40.9% (27-of-66) and 32.1% from three point range (nine-of-28). The Spartans outrebounded the Lions 55-32 in the game.

The Spartans will wrap-up play at the Lauren Hill Classic tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. against Westminster College (Mo.).