FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Santa Claus brought an early gift to head coach Casey Thousand and the Edgewood College women's basketball team. Rachel Pope led the Eagles with 19 points as Thousand won her 67th career game, making her the all-time winningest coach at Edgewood College, in a 62-54 victory over Marian University.

Marian University (7-2, 4-2 NACC) got out to a hot start in Sadoff Gymnasium, taking a 7-2 lead on a three-pointer by Nicole Paulus and two baskets from Sarah Olewinski. The Eagles reeived an early lift from Sammy Gander, who scored five straight points, all from the free throw line to give the Eagles their first lead of the game.

At that point, Edgewood College (3-7, 3-4 NACC) seized control of the game with a barrage of three-point baskets. Pope hit a pair of three-pointers and Hannah Menzia added another to go with a layup from Jazmin Little in a 14-2 Eagle run. Edgewood College led 23-12 and pushed that margin out to 39-24 by halftime.

Marian had no intention of going quietly, bursting from the locker room with three straight three-point baskets to get within 39-33. The Sabres were still within six when the Eagles created some distance with layups from Pope and Menzia and another big three-pointer from Pope for a 48-37 lead with 12:39 to go.

Marian closed the gap to 55-51 on a Brandi Bender jumper with 2:32 to go, but Mariah Hill answered with a layup for a 57-51 lead. Little and Hill ultimately ended any Sabres comebacks with five free throws down the stretch.

Edgewood College hit 50 percent (6-for-12) from the three-point line led by Pope's 3-for-5 effort on her way to 19 points. Menzia finished with 11 points, while Hill added 10 points. Little scored nine points including 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Courtney Spangler had a team-high seven rebounds and three assists. Thousand passed Rick Olson on the Eagles all-time wins list with her 67th career victory.

Marian was led be Sarah Olewinski with 17 points and Amelia Mirsberger who had 13 points. Edgewood College limited the Sabres to just 24.6 percent shooting on the day.

Edgewood College will return to action after Christmas by playing two games at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. The Eagles will face Wellesley College on Sunday, December 28 and then play Colby-Sawyer College the following night