DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 30, 2022) – Despite a game-high 16 points from junior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham), the Mercy College women's basketball team dropped a 67-61 decision to ECC foe University of Bridgeport on Sunday afternoon at Victory Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (10-9, 8-3 ECC) have dropped three games in a row, while the Purple Knights (6-12, 3-8 ECC) have won three games in a row.
Wall added four rebounds and senior Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) netted 14 points and a game-high six assists. Junior Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) added nine points and five rebounds and junior Asha Talib (Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport) had nine points and six rebounds. Sophomore Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) contributed seven points and five rebounds.
Bridgeport was led by Samirah Henderson who had a team-high 15 points.
The Purple Knights jumped out to a 15-6 lead with 3:53 left in the first quarter and later held a 19-10 lead with 1:52 on the clock. Back-to-back baskets from freshman Jaclyn Stanavich (Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam) and Wall got Mercy to within five, 19-14, after the first quarter.
Mercy opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run, capped off by a Nudd jumper, to take a 21-19 lead with eight minutes left in the half. Bridgeport later tied the game at 21-21 before the Mavericks went on an 8-2 run, finished off by a Waldron layup, to take a 29-23 lead with six minutes on the clock. Mercy later held a 34-29 lead after a pair of Tedesco free throws. A Janiece Loney three cut the Mavericks lead to two, 34-32, at halftime.
The Mavericks started the third quarter on an 11-0 run to take a 45-32 lead with 3:28 left in the quarter after a Wall free throw. Bridgeport ended the quarter on a 14-3 run to head into the fourth quarter down, 48-46.
A Bender layup increased the lead to four, 50-46, with 9:47 left. A Henderson layup at the 8:39 mark got Bridgeport to within one, 52-51. Tedesco made a layup to give Mercy a three-point lead, 54-51, with seven minutes remaining. A Stephanie McBride three-point play tied the game at 54-54 with 6:50 to play. Bender gave the Mavericks the lead back with a trifecta at the 4:42 mark to make it 57-54.
Bridgeport ensued with a 7-0 run to take a 61-57 lead with 2:19 left. Bender went 2-of-2 from the line to get Mercy within two, 61-59, with two minutes left to play. Henderson answered with a layup to once again give Bridgeport a four-point lead, 63-59. Henderson went 4-of-4 from the line down the stretch and Mercy could not get closer than three points, giving the Purple Knights the win.
Mercy shot 31.0 percent (22-of-71) from the floor, 23.1 percent (6-of-26) from downtown and 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from the foul line. Bridgeport shot 50.0 percent (27-of-54) from the field, 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from beyond the arc and 70.0 percent (7-of-10) from the charity stripe. Bridgeport held a 45-36 edge on the glass and Mercy used 25 Bridgeport turnovers to hold a 30-10 edge in points off turnovers.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, February 2nd when they play at St. Thomas Aquinas at 5:30 p.m.
