DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 25, 2023) – Powered by a game-high 14 points and 11 rebounds from freshman Angelina Barrera (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) and 11 points from senior Kellie Nudd (Colchester, Conn./Bacon Academy), the Mercy College women's basketball team earned a 51-36 win over ECC foe College of Staten Island on Wednesday night at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center.
The Mavericks (13-6, 7-2 ECC) have won eight games in a row for the first time since the 1984-85 season. Mercy continues their best start since the 1985-86 season and have their most wins in a season since the 1996-97 season. The Dolphins (7-12, 3-6 ECC) split the season series with Mercy. The 36 points allowed by the Mavericks are the fewest surrendered in a game since 2007 when they gave up 34 points to Briarcliffe. It is the fewest points allowed to an ECC opponent since Mercy gave up 35 to Queens on February 8, 1997.
Barrera recorded her first collegiate double-double with a career-high 14 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-8 shooting. She also added a game-high two blocks. Nudd added 11 points, five rebounds and five assists and junior Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) had eight points and four rebounds. Sophomore Jaclyn Stanavich (Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam) netted eight points on 4-of-5 shooting with six rebounds and graduate student Taysha Bender (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) had six points. Senior Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) recorded four points and a game-high seven assists and senior Asha Talib (Allentown, Pa./University of Bridgeport) had six rebounds and three assists.
Staten Island was led by Kyra Rose and Gia Esposito who each had a team-high nine points.
The score was tied at 8-8 with 3:20 left in the first quarter before two free throws from Bender and a Barrera layup gave Mercy a 12-8 lead after the first quarter.
The Mavericks opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run, finished off by a Barrera layup, to take a 20-8 lead with six minutes left in the half. The Dolphins scored the next three points to make it 20-11 before back-to-back baskets from Stanavich and Barrera gave Mercy a 13-point lead, 24-11, with 3:23 on the clock. Staten Island later cut the deficit to nine, but a late Tedesco bucket gave Mercy a 26-15 lead at halftime.
Mercy started the second half on a 9-0 run, ended by a Barrera layup, to take their largest lead of the game, 35-15, with 6:58 left in the frame. The Dolphins rallied with an 11-4 run to trim the Mavericks lead to 13, 39-26. However, a late Barrera layup put Mercy up 41-26 after three quarters.
Back-to-back baskets from Stanavich to open the fourth quarter gave Mercy a 45-26 lead with 7:59 left. The Dolphins ensued with an 8-2 run to make it 47-34 with 5:48 remaining. A Bender layup increased the lead back to 15 and the Mavericks held on for the 51-36 win.
Mercy shot 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the floor, 0.0 percent (0-of-16) from downtown and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from the foul line. Staten Island shot 25.9 percent (15-of-58) from the field, 12.5 percent (2-of-16) from beyond the arc and 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 42-34 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, January 28th when they play at UDC at 1 p.m.
