Clarks Summit, PA - The Cairn women's basketball team earned their third-straight victory with an 84-61 victory over the Clark Summit Defenders on Saturday afternoon. After a back-and-forth, high-scoring first quarter for both squads, the Highlanders ran away from the Defenders with a big second quarter and never looked back after the half. Four Highlanders went for double-digits with three players collecting double-doubles.
 
Payton Emerick (11 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists) led the trio of Highlanders with double-doubles, finishing just three assists shy of a triple double. Joining Emerick with double-doubles were Madelyn Brodish (21p and 10r) and Charlotte Camp (17p, 10r).
 
EJ Hartzler also scored in double-digits with 15 points on a 5-16 effort from beyond the arc. In total, nine different players scored for the Highlanders and 12 different players saw action on the floor.
 
As mentioned the first quarter was a high scoring affair as it seemed neither team was interested in playing defense. The two sides traded the lead in the early going before the Defenders went on a quick 5-0 run to take a 15-14 lead.
 
The Highlanders stole that lead right back with back-to-back buckets by Charlotte Camp, including an and-one layup to make the score 19-15 in favor of the Highlanders. The back-and-forth action continued as Clarks Summit and Cairn traded threes, but the Highlanders finished the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 28-21 lead into the second quarter.
 
Mollie Comstock kept the Defenders in the first quarter hitting four shots from beyond the arc for 12 of Clarks Summit's 21 points.
 
The Highlanders took control of the contest in the second quarter. Cairn opened the quarter on a 12-2 run that covered the first six minutes of the quarter to take a 40-23 lead. The run was fueled by Madelyn Brodish, who accounted for six of the 12 points on the run. Cairn continued to widen the margin and after a layup by Kendra Stum held a 49-28 lead, their largest of the half.
 
EJ Hartzler hit one of her five threes on the afternoon to end the first-half and give the Highlanders a 52-33 advantage heading to the locker room.
 
After the break the Highlanders grew their lead to as many as 23 points, but back-to-back threes late in the quarter closed the gap slightly and Cairn led 71-54 heading to the fourth.
 
Cairn controlled the fourth quarter and ran away for the 23-point, 84-61 victory over the Defenders and extended their win streak to three games, matching their longest streak of the season.
 
With the game in hand late, head coach Walt Zamroz had a chance to work 12 players in to the contest including Angela Paskitti. Paskitti collected her first collegiate point with a free throw late in the contest.
 
The Highlanders will put their win-streak on the line against Gwynedd Mercy on Wednesday when they hit the road to take on the Griffins at 6:00 p.m.