Box Score HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The Gator women's basketball squad continued out a frantic, eight-game road trip and their third game in six days by improving their winning streak to five after a decisive, 74-39 victory over Houghton on Saturday.

Junior Jessica Mrdjenovich finished an outstanding offensive week by scoring 23 points, her second highest total of the season, on 9-of-18 shooting and 5-of-9 from three-point range.  Mrdjenovich, who netted a career-high 28 points on Monday against Waynesburg, finished the week shooting 23-of-48 from the floor and drilling 13 total three-pointers, averaging 21.7 points per game during Allegheny's 3-0 week.

Senior Marina Scarantino scored nine points for the Gators, tying Mrdjenovich with a team-high five assists.  Three Gators finished the game in double digits, as junior Emma Pellicano scored her third double-double of the season and second of the week with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, tacking on a pair of team-highs with a season-high four blocks and three steals.

Sophomore Meaghan Wilby went 8-of-11 from the floor, finishing with 17 points, while junior Rachel Vigliotti pulled down seven rebounds, including four offensive boards.  The Gators shot 46.2 percent from the field and 44.0 from distance, out-rebounding Houghton, 47-37, scoring 12 points off of 16 Highlander turnovers.

Saturday's win gives the Gators their first five-game winning streak since the 2011-12 season.  In a season that has seen Allegheny score 70 or more points on five occasions, including the last three, in which Allegheny has won by an average margin of 28.7 points.

Houghton held a three-point lead after an 8-5, game-opening run, but Allegheny responded with a 20-5 run over the next 12 minutes to take a 25-13 advantage with 6:32 remaining in the first.  A three-pointer by Scarantino with 42 seconds remaining in the opening stanza capped the Gators' first-half dominance, as Houghton only scored 12 points over the final 17 minutes of the first half, while the Gators hit seven three-pointers and 17 jumpers en route to a 41-20 halftime lead. 

It was the second consecutive game where the Gators scored 41 points in the first half, and the 20 points allowed to Houghton is a team-high for the Gator defense this season.

In the second half, Allegheny kept the lead above 20 points, holding Houghton to 25.8 percent shooting, 0-for-4 from three-point range and only 19 points.  Allegheny's last bucket of the game, a layup by Wilby with 1:08 on the clock, gave the Gators their highest lead of the game with the final tally.

Allegheny will close the eight-game road trip on Monday, Dec. 8 at 5:30 p.m. against Grove City before returning home for the final game of 2014, a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) clash with Kenyon set for 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10.  Wednesday's game will be Camper Reunion Day for the Gators women's basketball program.