BUFFALO, N.Y. (Feb. 18, 2022) – Despite a game-high 16 points from junior Asha Talib (Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport), the Mercy College women's basketball team dropped a 63-51 decision to ECC foe D'Youville University on Friday night at College Center Gym.
The Mavericks (10-13, 8-7 ECC) have dropped seven games in a row, while the Saints (11-10, 6-9 ECC) have won two games in a row.
Talib went 7-of-12 from the floor and senior Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) had 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Junior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) added eight points and sophomore Jamie Waldron (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury) netted six points with five rebounds.
D'Youville was led by Sofie Fuglsang who had a team-high 15 points.
D'Youville held a 10-8 lead with 2:54 left in the first quarter. Mercy scored the next six points, finished off by a Briana Barnard (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) jumper, to take a 14-10 lead with 36 seconds remaining in the quarter. A late Saints bucket cut the Mercy lead to 14-12 after one quarter.
A Bender three to open the second quarter gave Mercy a 17-12 lead. D'Youville answered with five straight points to tie the game at 17-17. The Mavericks regained the lead on a Brianne Santos (Elmont, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) jumper before a Bailey Carlson layup tied the game at 19-19 with 6:34 left in the half. Talib recorded a jumper at the 5:20 mark to give the Mavericks a 21-19 lead. The Saints closed the quarter on an 11-2 run to take a 30-23 lead at halftime.
Mercy started the third quarter on a 10-4 run, capped off by a Wall three, to cut the Saints lead to just one, 34-33, with 6:31 on the clock. D'Youville built the lead back to five, 38-33, before a Waldron layup made it a three-point game, 38-35, with 3:23 left in the period. The Saints ensued with a 6-0 run to take a nine-point lead, 44-35. Two Waldron free throws cut the D'Youville lead to seven, 44-37, after three quarters.
The Saints opened the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run to take their largest lead of the game, 54-39, with 7:23 remaining. Mercy closed the gap to nine, 56-47, with 2:24 left after an 8-2 run. However, that would be the closest the Mavericks got as D'Youville earned the win.
Mercy shot 32.8 percent (20-of-61) from the floor, 21.7 percent (5-of-23) from downtown and 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from the foul line. D'Youville shot 41.7 percent (25-of-60) from the field, 38.5 percent (5-of-13) from beyond the arc and 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 40-38 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, February 20th when they play at Daemen at 12 p.m.
