PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 9, 2019) – Despite a team-high 16 points from junior Amber Brown (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick), the Mercy College women's basketball team opened up their 2019-20 season with a 78-56 setback to Pace University on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks (0-1) open their season with a loss, while the Setters (1-0) open up their season with a win.
Brown went 6-of-11 from the floor and had four rebounds. Freshman Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) recorded a double-double in her collegiate debut by way of 12 points and ten rebounds. Freshman Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) had 11 points, three assists and four rebounds in her debut. Sophomore Alexis Lake (Lakeview, N.Y./Malverne) had seven points and three rebounds.
Pace was led by Jackie DelliSanti who had a game-high 31 points and 11 rebounds.
The opening quarter saw the score tied at 4-4 before the hosts rattled off four straight points to take an 8-4 lead at the 4:34 mark. Wall drained a three to make it 8-7, but the Setters came back on an 11-4 run to build a 19-11 lead and headed into the second quarter with a 21-13 lead.
Pace started the second quarter on a 7-3 run to increase their lead to 12, 28-16, with 5:16 left before halftime. Mercy cut the deficit to seven, 28-21, following a Destinee Hall (Spring Valley, N.Y./Keystone College) three and Lake layup. Pace answered back with six straight points to put the lead to 13, 34-21, with 2:37 on the clock. Mercy continued to battle and made it an eight-point game, 34-26, following a Wall jumper at the 2:15 mark. The Setters built the lead back up to 11, but a Wall free throw right before halftime made it 39-29 in favor of Pace at halftime.
The hosts increased the lead to 15, 46-31, at the 7:47 mark of the third quarter. A Brown layup with 5:43 on the clock capped off a 7-0 Maverick run to make it 46-38. The Setters ensued with a 10-2 run to take a 16-point lead, 56-40, and held a 58-45 lead after three quarters.
The Setters scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to take a 65-45 lead with 7:49 remaining. Pace increased the lead to a game-high 23 points, 78-55, with two minutes left and held on for the victory.
Mercy shot 32.8 percent (22-of-67) from the floor, 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from downtown and 50.0 percent (6-of-12) from the foul line. Pace shot 44.3 percent (31-of-70) from the field, 26.1 percent (6-of-23) from beyond the arc and 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the charity stripe.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action tomorrow when they play Adelphi at Pace at 5 p.m.
