SPARKILL, N.Y. (Jan. 30, 2019) – Despite junior Destinee Hall (Spring Valley, N.Y./Keystone College) and freshman Alexis Lake (Lakeview, N.Y./Malverne) scoring in double figures, the Mercy College women's basketball team suffered a 91-54 setback to ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College on Wednesday night at Aquinas Hall Gym.
The Mavericks (3-17, 0-10 ECC) remain winless in ECC play, while the Spartans (18-3, 9-1 ECC) remain in first place in the ECC standings.
Hall finished with 13 points and six rebounds and Lake recorded a game-high-tying 14 points with six rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting. Junior Abigail Collier (Watertown, Conn./Watertown) netted nine points and seven rebounds and sophomore Amber Brown (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) poured in eight points.
St. Thomas Aquinas was led by Zaria Thomas who had a game-high-tying 14 points to lead six Spartans scoring in double figures.
The Spartans started the game on a 13-2 run and held a 20-4 lead with 3:54 remaining in the opening quarter. Mercy made it 20-8 with back-to-back baskets from Lake, but the hosts ended the quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 28-10 lead after one quarter.
St. Thomas Aquinas began the second quarter on a 10-0 run to increase the lead to 28, 38-10, at the 6:29 mark. Mercy answered with a 14-6 run, capped off by a Collier layup, that made it 44-24 with just over a minute left in the half. A late basket by the Spartans gave the hosts a 46-24 lead at halftime.
The hosts outscored the Mavericks 20-7 in the third quarter to take a 66-31 lead after three quarters.
Mercy held its own in the fourth quarter with the Spartans only outscoring the Mavericks by two to come away with the win.
Mercy shot 33.9 percent (19-of-56) from the floor, 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from downtown and 70.6 percent (12-of-17) from the foul line. St. Thomas Aquinas shot 47.5 percent (38-of-80) from the floor, 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from beyond the arc and 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from the charity stripe. The Spartans held a 51-30 edge on the glass and a 23-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, February 2nd when they host District of Columbia at 12 p.m.
