ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Jan. 26, 2022) – Despite a team-high 17 points from junior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham), the Mercy College women's basketball team dropped a hard-fought 57-55 decision to ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan College on Wednesday night at Voller Athletic Center.
The Mavericks (10-8, 8-2 ECC) have dropped two games in a row and earn a season series split with the Redhawks (9-5, 6-2 ECC) for the first time.
Wall added seven rebounds and three assists. Senior Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) netted seven points and sophomore Jamie Waldron (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) had seven points and a team-high eight rebounds. Juniors Asha Talib (Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport) and Briana Barnard (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) each contributed six points and senior Brianne Santos (Elmont, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) recorded five points.
Roberts Wesleyan was led by Toni Neely-Primus who had a game-high 19 points.
The Redhawks opened the game with an 11-0 lead at the 6:53 mark of the first quarter and increased the lead to 12, 14-2, with 6:11 on the clock. The Mavericks ended the quarter on a 13-3 run, capped off by a Wall layup, to end the quarter down just two, 17-15.
A Bender layup at the 7:52 mark of the second quarter tied the game at 19-19. Roberts Wesleyan responded by taking the lead back at 24-20 with 5:32 left in the half. Mercy scored the next five points, finished off by a Barnard three, to take a 25-24 lead with 3:26 on the clock. A Santos three later gave Mercy a 28-26 lead before the Redhawks scored four straight points to take a 30-28 lead. Barnard hit a three right before the end of the half to give Mercy a 31-30 lead at halftime.
The Mavericks increased their lead to four, 36-32, with 7:52 left in the third quarter after a Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) layup. Roberts Wesleyan followed with an 11-1 run to take a 43-37 lead with 1:43 remaining in the quarter. The Redhawks headed into the fourth quarter with a 46-41 lead.
Roberts Wesleyan held a 51-46 with 5:27 remaining before five straight points from Mercy tied the game at 51-51 with 2:35 left. A Taryn Wilson jumper gave Roberts Wesleyan a 53-51 lead with two minutes left. The two teams traded empty possessions before Waldron was fouled with 59 seconds left to play. Waldron went 1-of-2 from the line to get Mercy within in one, 53-52. Danielle Dicintio was fouled on the next Redhawks possession and went 2-of-2 from the line to give Roberts Wesleyan a 55-52 lead with 32 seconds left. After a missed jumper by Talib, Wilson was fouled and went 2-of-2 from the line for the Redhawks to give the hosts a 57-52 lead with 21 seconds left. Wall made a three at the buzzer to make it 57-55, but Roberts Wesleyan came away with the win.
Mercy shot 41.3 percent (19-of-46) from the floor, 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from downtown and 50.0 percent (10-of-20) from the foul line. Roberts Wesleyan shot 35.1 percent (20-of-57) from the field, 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from beyond the arc and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the charity stripe. Roberts Wesleyan held a 39-31 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, January 30th when they host Bridgeport at 12 p.m.
