After years as teammates, Cecelia Collins and Rachael Rose went their separate ways for college.
They still shared common accomplishments as their college careers got underway Wednesday night.
Collins and Rose each were in the starting lineups for the first game of their National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women’s basketball careers as their teams hit the road to take on opponents from major conferences.
The cousins, both graduates of Scranton Prep and the NEPA Elite AAU program out of Riverfront Sports in Scranton, each had their moments during difficult assignments for their respective teams.
Collins hit three of her four shots in the fourth quarter to finish with eight points for Bucknell University in a 71-48 loss at Ohio State, the nation’s 17th-ranked team. She had 6 of Bucknell’s 10 points in the fourth quarter when the Buckeyes were pulling away.
Rose scored all six of her points in the first half when she missed only one shot for the University of South Carolina Upstate in its 64-47 loss at Clemson.
Bucknell, coached by former University of Scranton, Misericordia University, Lackawanna College and Delaware Valley High School coach Trevor Woodruff, was within 28-24 at halftime against Ohio State.
Collins played 22 minutes. She grabbed four rebounds while going 4-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-2 on 3-pointers.
Rose, playing for Abington Heights graduate Becky Burke at USC Upstate, played 30 minutes and was the only Spartan with two steals. She finished 2-for-7 from the floor, 0-for-2 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the line while grabbing three rebounds and recording one assist.
