DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 8, 2025) – Despite a team-high 15 points from senior Jaclyn Stanavich (Amsterdam, N.Y./Amsterdam) and sophomore Grace Lesko (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area), the Mercy University women's basketball team dropped a hard-fought 60-58 decision to ECC foe College of Staten Island on Wednesday night at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center.
The Mavericks (8-6, 2-2 ECC) see their two-game winning streak come to an end, while the Dolphins (9-6, 3-1 ECC) have won two straight meetings against Mercy.
Mercy was led by Stanavich who had a team-high-tying 15 points with three assists and two steals. Lesko added her first collegiate double-double by way of 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the foul line with a game-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Amani Abuhatab (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) scored eight points and junior Angelina Barrera (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) contributed seven points and four rebounds. Junior Megan Marcotte (Enfield, Conn./Enfield) recorded six points and seven rebounds and sophomore Molly Boek (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties) netted three points. Freshmen Caitlin Leary (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place) and Morgan Miller (Branford, Conn./Sacred Heart Academy) both had two points.
Staten Island was led by Jenalyse Alarcon who had a game-high 17 points.
Mercy scored the game's first six points to take a 6-0 lead after two Lesko free throws at the 7:09 mark of the first quarter. The Dolphins scored the next seven points to take a 7-6 lead with 5:54 left in the opening quarter. A Boek free throw tied the game at 7-7 before the visitors went on a 6-1 run to take a 13-8 lead with 1:37 left in the quarter. The Dolphins later held a 15-10 lead before a late Marcotte jumper cut the Staten Island lead to three, 15-12, after the first quarter.
Staten Island opened the second quarter on a 4-1 run to take a 19-13 lead with 7:20 left in the half. The Mavericks rallied with an 11-0 run, capped off by a Leary layup, to take a 24-19 lead at the 2:35 mark. Mercy later held a 26-22 lead after two Abuhatab free throws before the Dolphins ended the quarter on a 6-1 run to take a 28-27 lead at halftime.
Two Boek free throws to open the third quarter gave Mercy a 29-28 lead. The Mavericks later held a three-point lead, 37-34, following a Marcotte jumper with 3:48 left in the quarter before the Dolphins scored six straight points to take a 40-37 lead at the 1:33 mark. A Lesko layup made it 40-39 before a late Madison Haggett three gave the visitors a 43-39 lead after three quarters.
Mercy began the fourth quarter on a 14-4 run to take a 53-47 lead after a Stanavich three with 3:13 left. The Dolphins answered with the next eight points to retake the lead at 55-53 with 1:28 remaining. Two Lesko free throws and a Stanavich layup gave Mercy a 57-55 lead with 40 seconds left. Dorothy Wiese tied the game at 57-57 following two free throws before Stanavich went 1-of-2 from the line to give Mercy a 58-57 lead with 28 seconds left. Alexa Quirolo nailed a jumper with six seconds left to put the Dolphins up, 59-58. Following a Mercy timeout, the Mavericks turned the ball over and Alarcon went 1-of-2 from the line with under a second left to make it 60-58. Time would run out on the Mavericks and Staten Island earned the 60-58 win.
Mercy shot 32.2 percent (19-of-59) from the floor, 20.0 percent (3-of-15) from downtown and 77.3 percent (17-of-22) from the foul line. Staten Island shot 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from the field, 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from beyond the arc and 66.7 percent (10-of-15) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 42-30 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, January 11th when they host UDC at 12 p.m.
