CALDWELL, N.J. (Nov. 16, 2022) – Despite a team-high nine points from senior Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy), the Mercy College women's basketball team dropped a 57-48 decision to Caldwell University on Wednesday night at Corino Court.
The Mavericks (1-2) have dropped two games in a row, while the Cougars (1-1) win their second straight meeting against Mercy.
Nudd had a team-high nine points and graduate student Sara Hopkins (Mountain Top, Pa./Concordia College) had eight points and four assists. Junior Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) added seven points and five rebounds and graduate student Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) had six points. Sophomores Jaclyn Stanavich (Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam) and Kayla Halvorsen (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) each netted six points.
Caldwell was led by Casey O'Shaughnessy who had a game-high 19 points.
Mercy held a 6-4 lead after a Nudd jumper at the 6:16 mark of the first quarter. The Cougars scored the next five points to take a 9-6 lead. Caldwell later held an 11-8 lead before a Hopkins three capped off a 4-0 run that gave Mercy a 12-11 lead. The Cougars regained the lead at 13-12 before Nudd put the Mavericks back up, 14-13, with 1:24 left in the quarter. Caldwell ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to head into the second quarter with an 18-14 lead.
Caldwell opened the second quarter on 7-2 run to increase their lead to nine, 25-16, with 3:33 left in the half. A pair of Nudd free throws made it 25-18, but a three by Halle Brown gave Caldwell a 28-18 lead at halftime.
The Cougars began the third quarter on a 10-2 run to take an 18-point lead, 38-20, with 6:33 left in the period. Mercy battled back with a 9-2 run, capped off by a Halvorsen three, to cut the deficit to 11, 40-29, with 3:58 remaining in the quarter. Caldwell scored the next four points to increase the lead back to 15 and headed into the fourth quarter with a 44-31 lead.
A Tedesco layup once again cut the deficit to 11, 44-33, with 8:40 left. Caldwell followed with an 8-1 run to put the lead back to 18, 52-34, with 4:31 remaining. Brown later gave the Cougars their largest lead of the game, 55-36, with 3:30 on the clock. Mercy continued to battle and went on a 10-0 run, capped off by a pair of Stanavich free throws, to cut the deficit to single digits, 55-46, with 43 seconds left. However, time would run out on the comeback bid and Caldwell came away with the 57-48 win.
Mercy shot 27.0 percent (17-of-63) from the floor, 17.4 percent (4-of-23) from downtown and 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the foul line. Caldwell shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57) from the field, 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from beyond the arc and 100.0 percent (9-of-9) from the charity stripe. Caldwell held a 50-34 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, November 19th when they host Wilmington at 3 p.m.
