DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 2, 2019) – Despite a team-high 20 points and five assists from freshman Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding), the Mercy College women's basketball team opened up 2019 with an 86-61 setback to Merrimack College on Wednesday night at the Victory Hall Sports Center.
The Mavericks (3-10) have dropped seven games in a row, while the Warriors (8-5) have won two games in a row.
Bender added seven rebounds and went 7-of-16 from the floor. Freshman Alexis Lake (Lakeview, N.Y./Malverne) finished with nine points and nine rebounds and junior Destinee Hall (Spring Valley, N.Y./Keystone College) recorded eight points and 11 rebounds. Junior Abigail Collier (Watertown, Conn./Watertown) netted seven points and five rebounds.
Merrimack was led by Denia Davis-Stewart who recorded a game-high 23 points and 20 rebounds.
The Warriors opened the contest on a 6-0 run and held a six-point lead, 12-6, with 3:48 remaining in the opening quarter. Mercy continued to battle and cut the deficit to two, 14-12, on a Lake layup with 1:36 on the clock. Merrimack scored the final four points of the quarter to take an 18-12 lead after one quarter of play.
The visitors started the second quarter on a 6-2 spurt to build a ten-point lead, 24-14, with 8:24 on the clock. The Mavericks clawed their way back into the game with a 12-4 run that made it 28-26 in favor of the Warriors with 4:40 remaining in the half. Merrimack responded with a 10-4 run to build the lead back to eight, 38-30, with two minutes left. Mercy ended the half on a 6-0 run to head into halftime down just two, 38-36.
Mercy began the third quarter by tying the game up at 40-40 with 7:23 left in the period on a Hall jumper. Merrimack responded with a 6-0 run to take a six-point lead, 46-40, but a three from junior Holly Sanders (Chicago, Ill./Simeon Career Academy) made it a three-point game, 46-43, with 5:18 on the clock. The Warriors would end the quarter on a 19-8 run to head into the fourth quarter up, 65-51.
Merrimack went on a 17-3 run to begin the fourth quarter making it an 82-54 affair with 3:51 remaining. The Warriors held on for the victory after outscoring the Mavericks 21-10 in the frame.
Mercy shot 34.3 percent (23-of-67) from the floor, 33.3 percent (6-of-18) from beyond the arc and 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from the foul line. Merrimack shot 47.9 percent (35-of-73) from the field, 24.1 percent (7-of-29) from downtown and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the charity stripe.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, January 9th when they play at Bridgeport at 5 p.m.
