PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Dec. 11, 2021) – Despite a team-high 10 points from senior Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding), the Mercy College women's basketball team dropped a 58-39 decision to Chestnut Hill College on Saturday afternoon at Sorgenti Arena.
The Mavericks (3-6) have dropped four of their last five games, while the Griffins (7-3) have won four of their last five games.
Bender had a team-high 10 points and had three rebounds. Junior Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) added eight points on 3-of-5 shooting and sophomore Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) had seven points. Junior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) netted six points and junior Brianna Lee (Elmont, N.Y./Saint Mary's) had a team-high seven rebounds.
Chestnut Hill was led by Bri Hewlett who had a game-high 14 points.
The Griffins took an early 10-2 lead with 6:20 left in the first quarter. Mercy followed with five straight points, capped off by a Nudd three, to get within three, 10-7, with 4:18 on the clock. Chestnut Hill increased the lead back to five, 14-9, at the 1:11 mark. A Tedesco free throw and Bender layup got Mercy to within two, 14-12, with 35 seconds left in the quarter. An Emily Sekerak layup gave Chestnut Hill a 16-12 lead after the first quarter.
Nudd opened the second quarter with a three to cut the Griffins lead to one, 16-15. Chestnut Hill followed with a layup to make it 18-15 before Wall drained a layup to get Mercy back within one, 18-17, with 7:10 left in the half. The Griffins scored the final three points of the quarter to head into halftime with a 21-17 lead.
A Bender three at the 8:58 mark of the third quarter made it 23-20 in favor of the hosts. Chestnut Hill ensued with a 12-2 run to increase the lead to 13, 35-22, with 4:30 left in the quarter. Back-to-back baskets from Tedesco and Wall cut the deficit to single digits, 35-26. The Griffins came back on a 12-1 run to take a 20-point lead, 47-27, with 56 seconds left in the period. Bender scored the final basket of the quarter to send Mercy into the fourth quarter down, 47-29.
Chestnut Hill began the fourth quarter on a 6-2 run to take their largest lead of the game, 53-31, with 6:16 left in the game. Mercy responded with four straight points to make it an 18-point game, but could not get any closer and would fall, 58-39.
Mercy shot 28.8 percent (15-of-52) from the floor, 33.3 percent (3-of-9) from downtown and 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from the foul line. Chestnut Hill shot 32.8 percent (22-of-67) from the field, 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from beyond the arc and 60.0 percent (6-of-10) from the charity stripe. Chestnut Hill held a 48-39 edge in rebounds.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, December 17th when they host Roberts Wesleyan at 5 p.m.
