BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Lynn University women's basketball team opened its 2026-27 campaign in dominant fashion Monday evening, cruising past New College of Florida, 85-47, inside the de Hoernle Sports Center. The Fighting Knights (1-0) wasted no time establishing their aggressive identity, jumping out to a 28-7 first-quarter lead and never looking back. Lynn showcased its depth and defensive intensity throughout the contest, forcing 23 turnovers, scoring 56 points in the paint and placing four players in double figures.
Trinity Mocadlo,
Malayna Stevenson and
Stephanie Vega paced the offense with 12 points apiece, while
Azjannie Culberth added 11 points and a game-high five steals to help Lynn secure a commanding 38-point season-opening victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Lynn wasted no time establishing its offensive rhythm, opening the 2026-27 season on a 7-0 run behind layups from Mocadlo, Culberth and Stevenson in the first three minutes of action
- The Fighting Knights continued to apply pressure defensively, forcing New College of Florida into turnovers and capitalizing in transition
- Culberth and
Dianka Hardisson combined for seven points during a 9-2 stretch that extended Lynn's advantage to 18-4 with 2:41 remaining in the opening quarter
- New College briefly interrupted the momentum with a three-pointer, but Lynn answered with 10 unanswered points over the final 2:19
- An and-one finish from
Mikenzie Jones, a three-point play from Mocadlo and a late layup from
Serena Baker sent the Fighting Knights into the second quarter with a commanding 28-7 lead
- The Banyans opened the second quarter with an 8-2 run, trimming the deficit to 30-15 with 7:28 remaining
- However, Lynn quickly settled back into its offensive rhythm as Stevenson connected on a jumper, Mocadlo buried the Fighting Knights' first three-pointer of the season and Vega added a transition layup to push the advantage to 38-22
- Lynn's defense took over during the closing minutes of the first half, holding New College scoreless over the final 5:07
- Hardisson ignited a 10-0 run with a fast-break layup before Culberth and
Phantasia Lauriston added baskets of their own
- Stevenson capped the first-half scoring with a second-chance layup at the buzzer, sending Lynn into the locker room with a 48-22 advantage after outscoring the Banyans 20-15 in the second quarter
- The Fighting Knights continued to build their lead early in the third quarter as Mocadlo converted a pair of free throws before Stevenson drilled a three-pointer and finished a fast-break layup on consecutive possessions, extending Lynn's lead to 57-25 with 6:43 remaining
- Lynn maintained its defensive intensity throughout the third, using steals from Mocadlo and
Katie Tiffan to create additional scoring opportunities
- Lauriston and
Emily Jean-Glaude added layups before
Deborah Damoah and Tiffan contributed baskets in the final two minutes
- The Fighting Knights outscored New College 21-13 in the third quarter, carrying a 69-35 advantage into the final 10 minutes of action
- New College opened the fourth quarter with five unanswered points, but Lynn quickly responded as Damoah and
Jayah Peoples converted consecutive baskets to restore a 33-point cushion at 73-40
- Vega then sparked another offensive surge, knocking down a three-pointer before finishing a fast-break layup off an assist from Hardisson to give the Fighting Knights a 79-40 advantage with 5:22 remaining
- Lynn continued to control the glass down the stretch as Culberth and Baker converted second-chance baskets before Peoples added another layup with 1:11 remaining, giving the Fighting Knights their largest lead of the evening at 85-45
- The Fighting Knights ultimately cruised to an 85-47 victory, opening their 2026-27 campaign with a 38-point win over the Banyans inside the de Hoernle Sports Center
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Four Fighting Knights reached double figures, led by Mocadlo, Stevenson and Vega, who each finished with 12 points while Culberth followed closely with 11 points
- Culberth made her presence felt defensively, recording a game-high five steals while adding six rebounds and a block
- Hardisson led Lynn with five assists while collecting six rebounds, while
Karishma Ortiz dished out four assists without committing a turnover
- Lynn dominated the interior, outscoring the Banyans 56-16 in the paint while holding a 46-30 advantage on the glass
- The Fighting Knights capitalized on New College's 23 turnovers, recording 21 points off turnovers while collecting 15 steals as a team
- Lynn's fast-paced offense generated 21 fast-break points compared to just four for the Banyans
- The Fighting Knights also controlled second-chance opportunities, outscoring New College 21-5 while grabbing 17 offensive rebounds
- Lynn's depth was on full display as the Fighting Knights' bench contributed 38 points, compared to 18 from New College's reserves
- The Fighting Knights shot 45.1% (32-of-71) from the field while limiting the Banyans to just 30.2% (16-of-53). Lynn also distributed 20 assists and committed just 12 turnovers
- Lynn led from start to finish, holding New College to just seven first-quarter points and building a game-high 40-point advantage late in the fourth quarter
UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights will hit the road this weekend, heading to Nashville, Tenn. for the GSC/SSC crossover hosted by Trevecca Nazarene. Lynn opens the crossover on Friday, Nov. 13 against Christian Brothers at 2:00 pm.
