SAINT LEO, Fla. (Dec. 16, 2023) – Despite a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds from junior Jaclyn Stanavich (Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam), the Mercy University women's basketball team dropped a 67-54 decision to Columbus State University on Saturday afternoon at Marion Bowman Center.
The Mavericks (7-5) have dropped three games in a row, while the Cougars (4-4) have won two games in a row.
Stanavich had a career-high 25 points on 10-of-22 shooting with 10 rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Angelina Barrera (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) netted seven points and seven rebounds and graduate student Katie Wall (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham) had seven points and three steals. Senior Maria Tedesco (Ocean Township, N.J./St. Rose) added six points and five rebounds and sophomore Kyla Nembach (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) contributed four points.
Columbus State was led by Letiya Reeves who had a team-high 19 points.
Mercy took an early 2-0 lead after a Stanavich jumper. The Cougars scored the next five points to take a 5-2 lead with 8:22 left in the opening quarter. The Mavericks later tied the score at 9-9 after a Wall three at the 6:44 mark. Columbus State netted the next six points to take a 15-9 lead with 5:21 on the clock before two free throws from Stanavich and a Wall jumper made it 15-13. A Tedesco layup later cut the Cougars lead to two again, 17-15, with 3:14 left in the quarter. Columbus State ended the quarter on a 7-1 run to take a 24-16 lead after the first quarter.
The Cougars scored the first nine points of the second quarter to increase their lead to 17, 33-16, with 4:33 left in the half. The Mavericks rallied with the next seven points, capped off by a Barrera three-point play, to cut Columbus State's lead to 10, 33-23, at the 2:33 mark. A three from Olivia West gave the Cougars a 13-point lead and they headed into halftime with a 37-25 lead.
Columbus State recorded the first four points of the third quarter to take a 41-25 lead with 9:11 left in the quarter. A Jillian Bretz three at the 2:27 mark tied the Cougars largest lead of the game, 50-33. A Stanavich jumper and Mary McClintock (Essex Junction, Vt./La Lumiere) three-point play cut trimmed the Columbus State lead to 12, 50-38, with 21 seconds remaining in the quarter. Two Zuzanna Rudenko free throws at the end of the quarter gave the Cougars a 52-38 lead after three quarters.
Mercy started the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run, finished off by a Nembach jumper, to cut the deficit to eight, 52-44, with 6:34 left, forcing a Columbus State timeout. Following the timeout, Bretz drained a three to increase the Cougar lead to 11, 55-44. A Barrera layup at the 5:41 mark cut the deficit to single digits again, but Columbus State netted the next four points to build the lead back to 13, 59-46, with 4:52 left. Mercy responded with an 8-2 run, finished off by a Nembach jumper, to get within seven, 61-54, with 1:29 left. The Mavericks could not score again, and the Cougars scored the final six points of the game to pull away for the 67-54 win.
Mercy shot 39.0 percent (23-of-59) from the floor, 11.1 percent (1-of-9) from downtown and 77.8 percent (7-of-9) from the foul line. Columbus State shot 49.0 percent (25-of-51) from the field, 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from beyond the arc and 55.0 percent (11-of-20) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 36-30 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, December 31st when they play at Sacred Heart in an exhibition at 1 p.m.
