DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 5, 2018) – Despite a team-high 17 points from freshman Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding), the Mercy College women's basketball team opened up East Coast Conference (ECC) play with a 78-55 setback to St. Thomas Aquinas College on Wednesday night at the Victory Hall Sports Center.

The Mavericks (3-4, 0-1 ECC) fail to build upon their win last time out, while the Spartans (7-1, 1-0 ECC) open up ECC play with a win.

Bender went 7-of-11 from the field and added four rebounds. Freshman Alexis Lake (Lakeview, N.Y./Malverne) produced 13 points and six rebounds and sophomore Amber Brown (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) finished with ten points and five rebounds.

St. Thomas Aquinas was led by Zaria Thomas who had a game-high 18 points.

The Spartans opened the contest with the game's first four points before the Mavericks tied the game up at 6-6 following a Cynthia Perez (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ the King) free throw at the 7:41 mark. St. Thomas Aquinas followed with an 8-0 run to build a 14-6 advantage with 3:48 remaining in the opening quarter. Mercy made it 14-10 after a Bender jumper, but the Spartans ended the quarter on a 9-3 run to take a 23-13 lead after one quarter.

The visitors opened the second quarter with four straight points to build a 14-point lead, 27-13, with 9:08 on the clock. The Spartans increased the lead to 17, 36-19, on a Thomas three at the 5:57 mark. Mercy trimmed the lead to 13, 36-23, after two Perez free throws, but St. Thomas Aquinas ensued with a 6-0 run to build a 19-point lead and headed into halftime up 42-25.

Five unanswered points to begin the third quarter gave the Spartans a 47-25 lead. Mercy followed with an 8-0 run, capped off by a Bender layup, that forced a St. Thomas Aquinas timeout with 6:15 remaining in the period. Following the timeout, the Spartans ended the quarter on a 16-6 run to build a 63-39 lead after three quarters.

Mercy would outscore St. Thomas Aquinas 16-15 in the fourth quarter but it was not enough as the Spartans came away with the 78-55 win.

Mercy shot 41.9 percent (18-of-43) from the floor, 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from downtown and 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the foul line. St. Thomas Aquinas shot 36.8 percent (28-of-76) from the field, 33.3 percent (9-of-27) from beyond the arc and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the charity stripe. The Spartans held a 44-34 edge on the glass and a 35-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, December 8th when they play at UDC at 1 p.m.