DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Nov. 28, 2018) – Powered by a game-high 18 points from freshman Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) and double-doubles from sophomore Amber Brown (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) and freshman Alexis Lake (Lakeview, N.Y./Malverne), the Mercy College women's basketball team overcame an 11-point first-half deficit to defeat Felician University, 70-60, in their home opener on Wednesday night at the Victory Hall Sports Center.

The Mavericks (3-3) are off to their best six-game start since 2014-15, while the Golden Falcons (0-4) remain winless on the year.

Bender added five rebounds and Brown finished with 16 points and ten rebounds. Lake recorded 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds on 4-of-8 shooting. Junior Destinee Hall (Spring Valley, N.Y./Keystone College) finished with nine points and four rebounds.

Felician was led by Kameron Stone and Taliyah Brisco who both recorded a team-high-tying 11 points.

Mercy opened the scoring with a Lake free throw and held a 5-4 lead with 6:42 remaining in the first quarter after a Brown layup. Felician answered with a 9-0 run to take a 13-5 lead with 2:46 on the clock. The Golden Falcons headed into the second quarter with a 16-9 lead after holding the Mavericks to 22.2 percent shooting.

The Mavericks cut the deficit to five, 16-11, on a Hall jumper, but the visitors ensued with an 8-2 run to build their largest lead of the game, 24-13, with 4:47 remaining in the half. Mercy quickly came back with a 6-0 run to get within five, 24-19, but Felician responded with a 6-0 run of their own to increase the lead to 11, 30-19. A Bender jumper with 43 seconds left helped send the Mavericks into the locker rooms down nine, 30-21.

The teams traded three-pointers to start the third quarter, but Mercy would go on a 10-0 run, capped off by a Bender layup, that gave the Mavericks a 34-33 lead with 5:54 remaining in the quarter. Felician would not go down quietly and came back and took a five-point lead, 41-36, with 4:12 on the clock. Mercy battled back and tied the game up for the fifth time in the quarter with 1:32 remaining at 46-46. Bender later gave the Mavericks a 48-46 advantage and Mercy headed into the fourth quarter with a 48-47 lead after outscoring the Golden Falcons, 27-17, in the quarter.

Mercy continued to build off the energy from the energetic crowd and the momentum from the third quarter, starting the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run to build a 13-point lead, 60-47, with 5:46 remaining. The Mavericks increased the lead to as many as 15 points and Felician could not get any closer than ten points to give Mercy the victory.

Mercy shot 36.4 percent (24-of-66) from the field, 10.5 percent (2-of-19) from downtown and 66.7 percent (20-of-30) from the foul line. Felician shot 32.7 percent (18-of-55) from the floor, 20.0 percent (4-of-20) from long distance and 66.7 percent (20-of-30) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 50-38 edge on the glass and a 13-4 advantage in second chance points.

Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, December 5th when they host St. Thomas Aquinas at 5 p.m.