DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 3, 2022) – Powered by a career-high 30 points from graduate student Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding), the Mercy College women's basketball team earned an 84-75 win over ECC foe University of the District of Columbia on Saturday afternoon at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center.

The Mavericks (4-4, 1-1 ECC) pick up their first ECC win of the season and defeat the Firebirds (4-4, 1-1 ECC) for the second straight season in Dobbs Ferry.

Bender went 11-of-22 from the floor and had six rebounds. The graduate student is now 19 points shy of 1,000 for her career. Senior Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) had a season-high 17 points with six rebounds in just 19 minutes. Senior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) added 11 points and four assists and is now 14 points shy of 1,000 for her career. Freshman Angelina Barrera (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) added eight points and six rebounds and sophomore Kayla Halvorsen (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) netted five points. Graduate student Sara Hopkins (Mountain Top, Pa./Concordia College) recorded a game-high six assists.

UDC was led by Latavia Jackson who had a team-high 22 points.

UDC jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 7:43 left in the first quarter. Mercy answered with a 9-3 run to cut the deficit to one, 10-9, after an Asha Talib (Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport) layup with 6:04 on the clock. The Firebirds scored the next five points to build the lead back to six, 15-9, with 3:58 left in the quarter. The Mavericks stormed back on a 12-4 run, capped off by a Halvorsen three, to take a 21-19 lead late in the quarter. Destiny Ryles nailed a jumper at the buzzer to tie the game at 21-21 after the first quarter.

The Firebirds scored the first four points of the second quarter to take a 25-21 lead at the 8:52 mark. Mercy rallied with five straight points, finished off by a Talib jumper, to take a 26-25 lead. UDC went on a 14-6 run to take a seven-point lead, 39-32, with 3:50 remaining in the half. Mercy ensued with a 9-2 run, finished off by a Halvorsen layup, to tie the game at 41-41 with 1:26 left in the half. The Firebirds scored the final three points of the half to take a 44-41 lead at halftime.

Mercy opened the second half on an 11-4 run, capped off by a Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) layup, to take a 52-48 lead with 6:57 left in the third quarter. A pair of Shanell Haskins free throws made it 52-50 before Mercy scored the next nine points, finished off by a Nudd three, to take a 61-50 lead at the 3:46 mark. The Mavericks headed into the fourth quarter with a 68-59 lead after outscoring the Firebirds 27-15 in the quarter.

UDC began the fourth quarter on a 16-5 run to take a 75-73 lead with 2:42 left. Bender answered with a three on the next Mercy possession to put the Mavericks up, 76-75. Mercy would go on to score the next eight points to pull away from UDC as the Mavericks defense held the Firebirds scoreless for the final 2:42 of the game to earn the win.

Mercy shot 43.3 percent (29-of-67) from the floor, 39. 1 percent (9-of-23) from downtown and 81.0 percent (17-of-21) from the foul line. UDC shot 42.4 percent (28-of-66) from the field, 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from beyond the arc and 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the charity stripe. UDC held a 42-38 edge on the glass.

Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, December 6th when they host Chestnut Hill at 5 p.m.