FLUSHING, N.Y. (Jan. 10, 2018) – Powered by a career high 30 points from freshman Amber Brown (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) and the go-ahead three-pointer from freshman Anna Zaborowska (Copiague, N.Y./Copiague) with 28 seconds left in overtime, the Mercy College women's basketball team earned an 80-75 victory over ECC foe and 2017 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight participant Queens College on Wednesday night at Fitzgerald Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (6-10, 2-5 ECC) have won two ECC games in a row and earn a road win over the Knights (6-7, 2-3 ECC) for the first time since a 70-60 victory on February 18, 2012.
Brown also recorded ten rebounds for her third double-double of the year and went 7-of-16 from the floor and 15-of-16 from the foul line. Junior Cynthia Perez (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) added 13 points and five rebounds and Zaborowska ended the night with 11 points and six rebounds. Senior Latisha Clark (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) rounded out four Mavericks scoring in double figures with ten points and five rebounds.
Queens was led by Beth Bonin who had a team high 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, while Merrick Rowland netted 22 points and eight rebounds.
Mercy looked to build off their win on Saturday, but would get off to a slow start as the Knights opened the contest with a 14-5 lead at the 2:56 mark. Queens later increased the lead to ten, 19-9, in the period and headed into the second quarter up nine, 21-12.
The Knights looked to be pulling away from the Mavericks, but Mercy would not back down and began the second quarter on a 14-4 run to take a 26-25 lead with 2:17 left in the half after a Brown three. Queens ended the half on a 10-2 run to retake the lead at 35-28 at halftime.
The hosts began the third quarter with the first points to take a nine-point lead, 37-28. However, Mercy continued to battle and followed with an 11-0 run to take a 39-37 advantage with 6:30 left in the quarter after a pair of Brown free throws. The Knights gained the lead back, 43-39, after a 6-0 run, leading to a Mercy timeout. Out of the timeout, the Mavericks went on a 9-0 spurt, capped off by an Abigail Collier (Watertown, Conn./Watertown) jumper, to build a 48-43 lead with two minutes left in the quarter. Mercy would end the third quarter holding a 52-47 lead.
A layup by Brown began the scoring in the fourth quarter and gave the Mavericks a seven-point lead, 54-47. Mercy maintained a seven-point edge, 60-53, with 5:49 left in regulation and looked to have the game in hand. The Knights had an answer and went on a 10-0 run to take a 63-60 lead with just two minutes remaining. Queens held a 65-62 lead with 38 seconds left following a Bonin layup. Brown knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a one-point game, 65-64, with 26 seconds left. After being fouled, Bonin went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to make it 66-64 with just ten seconds on the clock. Brown drew a foul on the next Mercy possession and made both at the line to tie the game up at 66-66 sending the game into overtime.
The overtime period saw Perez opened it up with a three and two free throws to give Mercy a 71-66 lead. A mini 4-0 run by Queens brought the score to 71-70 with 3:55 left in overtime. After Clark drained a pair of free throws to make it 73-70, Bonin drained a trifecta to tie the game up again at 73-73 with 1:46 on the clock. The score was tied at 75-75 with 43 seconds left after the teams traded free throws. Following a steal by Zaborowska, the freshman drained a three in transition to put the Mavericks up 78-75 with just 28 seconds remaining. The Mercy defense would hold off Queens the rest of the way to secure the impressive road win.
Mercy shot 35.5 percent (22-of-62) from the floor, 50.0 percent (9-of-18) from downtown and 84.4 percent (27-of-32) from the foul line. Queens shot 39.0 percent (32-of-82) from the field, 16.7 percent (4-of-24) from long distance and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from the charity stripe.
Head Coach Jim Harter and the Mavericks look to make it three wins in a row when they host Molloy College on Saturday, January 13th at 1 p.m. at Nyack College.
