DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 21, 2022) – Powered by a double-double from senior Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) and a team-high 20 points from junior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham), the Mercy College women's basketball team earned a convincing 81-54 win over ECC foe D'Youville College on Friday night at Victory Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (10-6, 8-0 ECC) have now won seven games in a row, which is the longest winning streak since the 1984-85 season. Mercy is 10-6 for the first time since the 1987-88 season and now have their most ECC wins in a season the 1999-00 season. The Mavericks also have their most overall wins in a season since the 2008-09 season. The Saints (7-5, 2-4 ECC) have dropped three games in a row.
Wall had a game-high 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting with five assists and six rebounds. Bender had 18 points and 10 rebounds on 7-of-15 shooting and junior Asha Talib (Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport) netted eight points on 4-of-8 shooting. Junior Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) had seven points and a game-high eight assists and sophomore Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) contributed four points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Senior Brianne Santos (Elmont, N.Y./Nazareth Regional), sophomore Jamie Waldron (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) and freshman Kayla Halvorsen (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) each had five points and freshman Jaclyn Stanavich (Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam) recorded four points. Junior Briana Barnard (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) and freshman Abrielle Racine (Mooers Forks, N.Y./Northeastern Clinton Senior) combined for five points off the bench.
D'Youville was led by Sara Pfeiffer who had a game-high 26 points.
Mercy jumped out to a 17-0 lead following a Nudd jumper with 4:45 left in the first quarter. The Saints answered with a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to nine, 19-10, at the 2:12 mark. The Mavericks quickly scored the next 10 points, capped off by a Santos three, to take a 29-10 lead with 20 seconds left in the quarter. A three by Pfeiffer cut the Mercy lead to 29-13 after the first quarter. Mercy shot a blistering 70.6 percent from the floor in the opening quarter.
The Mavericks opened the second quarter on a 12-2 run, finished off by a Talib jumper, to increase the lead to 41-15 with 2:15 left in the half. D'Youville scored the final basket of the half to head into halftime down, 41-17.
The Saints scored the first three points of the third quarter, but Mercy rallied with a 14-3 run, finished off by a Bender three-point play, to take a 55-23 lead at the 5:37 mark. The Mavericks later increased the lead to a game-high 41 points, 68-27, with 22 seconds left in the quarter after two Wall free throws. D'Youville made two late free throws to head into the fourth quarter down, 68-29.
A Waldron jumper to open the fourth quarter once again gave Mercy a 41-point lead. The Saints outscored Mercy 25-13 in the fourth quarter but could not get any closer than 27 points, giving Mercy the convincing win.
Mercy shot 48.4 percent (31-of-64) from the floor, 45.0 percent (9-of-20) from downtown and 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the foul line. D'Youville shot 29.1 percent (16-of-55) from the field, 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from beyond the arc and 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 44-34 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, January 23rd when they host Daemen in a matchup for first place in the ECC at 12 p.m.
