FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Despite a game-high-tying 19 points from freshman Callie Mullin (Rockaway Beach, N.Y./Xaverian HS), the Mercy University Women's Basketball Team dropped a 71-47 decision at Division I Sacred Heart University in an Exhibition on Friday night at the William H. Pitt Center.
The game does not count toward Mercy's record. Sacred Heart (1-1) picks up their first win of the season.
The Pioneers scored the game's first five points to take a 5-0 lead with 8:23 left in the opening quarter. Sacred Heart later held a 9-5 lead before a junior Laeticia Hardy (Montreal, Quebec/Northern Oklahoma College/LIU) layup and a Mullin three gave Mercy a 10-9 lead at the 5:37 mark. Mullin later drained two more threes to give the Mavericks a game-high three-point lead,16-13, with 2:01 left in the quarter. The Pioneers scored the next four points to take a 17-16 lead before two free throws from freshman Scarlet Cubero (Jamaica, N.Y./Saint Mary's HS) gave Mercy an 18-17 advantage. A late free throw by Sophie Nascimento tied the score at 18-18 at the end of the first quarter.
A Cubero layup at the 9:00 mark of the second quarter tied the game at 20-20. Sacred Heart answered with an 18-3 run to take a 38-23 lead with 43 seconds left in the half. Two free throws from Mullin, a free throw from junior Gabrielle Martin (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) and a graduate student Molly Boek (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties) layup got the Mavericks to within 10, 38-28, at halftime.
The Pioneers increased the lead back to 14, 45-31, with 7:19 left in the third quarter before a Boek three at the 6:22 mark made it 45-34. Sacred Heart followed with a 12-0 run to build the lead to 23, 57-34. A sophomore Ella Wilson (Lehman, Pa./Lake-Lehman) three made it 57-37 before a Katie Ledden three late in the quarter gave the Pioneers a 60-37 lead, heading to the fourth quarter.
A sophomore Saige Youngberg (Wales, Mass./Worcester Academy) three at the 7:41 mark of the fourth quarter cut the Sacred Heart lead to 19, 62-43. The Pioneers ensued with a 9-2 run to take a 71-45 lead and led the rest of the way to earn the 71-47 win.
Mercy was led by Mullin who had a game-high-tying 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 shooting from downtown. Boek and Wilson both added five points and Boek recorded five rebounds. Martin and Cubero both recorded four points and Youngberg added three points. Junior Sophia Hoyt (Middle Village, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) had three points, and Hardy contributed two points and a team-high seven rebounds. Junior Caitlin Leary (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place) and freshman Kosi Anyanwu (Birmingham, United Kingdom/Nottingham Academy) both added one point.
Sacred Heart was led by Nascimento who had a game-high-tying 19 points.
Mercy shot 30.4 percent (14-of-46) from the floor, 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from downtown and 50.0 percent (10-of-20) from the foul line. Sacred Heart shot 39.1 percent (25-of-64) from the field, 27.3 percent (3-of-11) from beyond the arc and 66.7 percent (18-of-27) from the charity stripe. Sacred Heart held a 44-32 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks open their 2026-27 regular season when they play at No. 11 Bentley on Monday, November 9th at 5:30 p.m.
