DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 9, 2022) – Powered by graduate student Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) recording her 1,000th career point and scoring a team-high 12 points, the Mercy College women's basketball team earned a 49-43 win over ECC foe D'Youville University on Friday evening at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center.

The Mavericks (5-5, 2-1 ECC) have won two of their last three games and defeat the Saints (2-5, 1-2 ECC) for the second straight year in Dobbs Ferry.

Bender recorded her 1,000th career point on a go-ahead basket with 33 seconds left and now has 1,001 career points. The graduate student becomes the 21st Maverick in program history to reach 1,000 points. Senior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) added 10 points and senior Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy) netted 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Junior Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) contributed eight points and seven rebounds.

D'Youville was led by Stella Mollica who had a game-high 15 points.

The Saints jumped out to an 11-2 lead with 2:54 left in the first quarter. A three from Kayla Halvorsen (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y./Dobbs Ferry) and a layup from Bender made it 11-7 with 50 seconds left in the quarter. A late Mollica layup gave the guests a 13-7 lead after the first quarter.

D'Youville held a 17-10 lead with 7:04 left in the half before Mercy went on a 13-4 run, capped off by a Bender layup, to take a 23-21 lead with 2:24 remaining in the quarter. A Mollica jumper sent the teams into halftime tied at 23-23.

Mercy regained the lead following a Sara Hopkins (Mountain Top, Pa./Concordia College) layup with 4:38 left in the third quarter. D'Youville battled back with four straight points to take a 29-27 lead with 2:30 on the clock. A Nudd three gave the Mavericks a 30-29 lead with two minutes on the clock and Mercy headed into the fourth quarter up, 30-29.

The Mavericks opened the fourth quarter on a 6-2 run, capped off by a pair of Nudd free throws, to take a 36-31 lead with six minutes to play. The Saints followed with a 9-3 run, finished off by a Brianne Moxley, three-point play to take a 40-39 lead with three minutes left. Bender tied the game at 40-40 following a free throw with 1:28 left. Mollica drained a three on the next D'Youville possession to give the visitors a 43-40 lead with 1:12 on the clock. Bender ensued with a layup to get Mercy within one, 43-42, with 56 seconds remaining. After an offensive foul by the Saints and a Mercy timeout, Bender drove to the basket and got the layup to fall for her 1,000th career point and drained the free throw to give the Mavericks a 45-43 lead with 33 seconds left. Mercy's defense forced a missed jumper by Moxley on the next possession and Asha Talib (Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport) and Wall went 4-of-4 from the line to complete the victory.

Mercy shot 29.1 percent (16-of-55) from the floor, 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from downtown and 86.7 percent (13-of-15) from the foul line. D'Youville shot 29.6 percent (16-of-54) from the field, 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from beyond the arc and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 38-34 edge on the glass.

Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, December 11th when they host No. 7/13 Daemen at 12 p.m.