CREVE COEUR (Interstat)—Melia Lemorande scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Maryville (MO) routed Eureka 116-26 in a non-divisional women’s NCAA Division II basketball game Tuesday at Simon Athletic Center. The Saints, playing at home, improved to 1-0. Attendance was 233. The visiting Eureka squad fell behind early and never recovered.

Maryville (MO) set the tone immediately. Gracie Gopalan opened the scoring with a layup, Claire Lueken followed with a jumper and a tip-in, and Gopalan added two free throws as the Saints surged ahead. Hadley Crosier hit a 3-pointer, Lindsey Schadewalt made a pullup jumper, and Zhane Singer converted a tip-in and a layup to cap a 17-0 run. Jaylen Zachary’s 3-pointer finally put Eureka on the board with 3:30 left in the first quarter. Lemorande hit a 3-pointer and Crosier added another late in the quarter as Maryville built a 30-5 lead after one.

The Saints kept rolling in the second quarter. Adylan Ayer scored on a tip-in, Lueken made a layup, Schadewalt added a tip-in and a layup, and Olivia Hahn and Braci Nyberg also scored as Maryville pulled away. Melia Lemorande converted a tip-in and a layup, Hadley Crosier scored, and Zhane Singer made a free throw as the Saints took a 60-9 halftime lead. Eureka got second-quarter baskets from Trinity Childs and Khaliyah Goree but could not slow Maryville’s offense.

In the third quarter, Claire Lueken made a 3-pointer, Schadewalt scored on a layup and later added free throws, Olivia Hahn hit a 3-pointer, and Gopalan connected from beyond the arc. Eureka got baskets from Khaliyah Goree and Isabella Jensen, but Maryville’s lead continued to swell. Lemorande added a layup and Schadewalt closed the third with a 3-pointer. Maryville (MO) finished with 32 offensive rebounds, 12 assists, six blocks and nine turnovers. The Saints scored 116 points from 79 possessions, an offensive rating of 146.1.

Lemorande posted 28 points, 13 rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 20 minutes. Schadewalt added 22 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes. Crosier had 12 points, three rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes, while Gopalan contributed seven points, eight rebounds and five assists in 15 minutes. Lueken finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes. Singer had nine points, eight rebounds, one assist and two blocks in eight minutes. Olivia Hahn added five points, five rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes, Braci Nyberg had six points, four rebounds and five assists in 14 minutes, and Adylan Ayer chipped in four points, five rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes. Libby Gilmore scored seven points in 15 minutes.

In the fourth, Demayiah Gaines scored twice for Eureka, Malaya Taylor added a pullup jumper, Niamraj Ballard made a jump shot and Trinity Childs scored a late layup. Maryville answered with Lemorande’s interior finishes and 3-point shooting, along with baskets from Singer, Libby Gilmore and Ellie Buss. Lemorande’s final 3-pointer came with less than a second remaining. The Saints’ 32 offensive rebounds helped produce repeated second-chance opportunities, and their 12 assists came against only nine turnovers. Eureka, meanwhile, scored 26 points overall. Schadewalt was efficient around the basket throughout, and Crosier and Gopalan helped the Saints control pace and distribute the ball. The Saints’ bench also contributed, with Nyberg and Ayer combining for 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. The non-divisional matchup counted as Maryville’s season opener, and the Saints moved to 1-0.

Maryville (MO) is scheduled to host Wisconsin-Parkside and Roosevelt before road games at Winona State and Concordia-Saint Paul. The Saints also have home dates ahead against Thomas More, Lincoln (MO), Lewis, Ohio Dominican and Catholic (PR), with a trip to Arkansas-Fort Smith mixed in.