DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 17, 2021) – Powered by a team-high 19 points from senior Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding), the Mercy College women's basketball team improved to 2-0 in ECC play for the first time since 1992 with a 68-63 win over the defending ECC Champions and 2021 NCAA Tournament participant Roberts Wesleyan College on Friday night at Victory Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (4-6, 2-0 ECC) start 2-0 in ECC play for the first time since 1992 and defeat the Redhawks (4-5, 1-2 ECC) for the first time in program history. Mercy was 0-16 all-time against Roberts Wesleyan prior to tonight's game.
Bender had 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting with six rebounds and four assists. Junior Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) had a season-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting with five rebounds and four assists. Junior Asha Talib (Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport) had 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting and a game-high seven rebounds. Junior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) and sophomore Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) netted six points apiece.
Roberts Wesleyan was led by Toni Neely-Primus who had a game-high 24 points.
Mercy jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first quarter after a Bender three with 5:56 on the clock. The Redhawks went on a 9-2 run to take a 13-12 lead before Talib answered on the other end to give the Mavericks a 14-13 lead with 1:42 left in the quarter. Roberts Wesleyan retook the lead on a Grace Dow jumper. However, Bender drained a layup at the buzzer to give Mercy a 16-15 lead after one quarter of play.
A sophomore Jamie Waldron (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) layup gave Mercy an 18-15 lead. The Redhawks responded with an 11-2 run to take a 26-20 lead at the 5:18 mark of the second quarter. Mercy closed the quarter and half on a 10-0 run to take a 30-26 lead at halftime.
Roberts Wesleyan cut the deficit to two, 32-30, with 7:21 remaining in the third quarter. The Mavericks quickly battled back with a 7-0 run, capped off by a Waldron layup, to take a 39-30 lead with 5:15 left in the frame. The Redhawks later cut the Mercy lead to one, 43-42, at the 1:43 mark. Wall drained a three on the next Maverick possession to make it 46-42 and junior Brianna Lee (Elmont, N.Y./Saint Mary's) later added a three-point play to put Mercy up, 49-44, with 42 seconds on the clock. A Bender three right before the end of the quarter gave the Mavericks a 52-47 lead after three quarters.
Mercy increased the lead to six, 59-53, after a Talib layup with 6:35 remaining. The guests came back on a 7-0 run to retake the lead at 60-59 with 2:39 left to play. The Mavericks showed this was a different year and followed with a three by Wall and a layup by Bender to take a 64-60 lead with 1:36 to play. The Redhawks made it a two-point game, 64-62, but Tedesco followed with a pair of free throws to give Mercy a 66-62 lead with 43 seconds left. Nudd later sealed the game with two free throws to give the Mavericks their first win over Roberts Wesleyan.
Mercy shot 41.0 percent (25-of-61) from the floor, 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from downtown and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the foul line. Roberts Wesleyan shot 48.2 percent (27-of-56) from the field, 30.0 percent (6-of-20) from beyond the arc and 42.9 percent (3-of-7) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 37-31 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, December 19th when they play at Bridgeport at 1 p.m.
