25th ranked Marymount University built a 12-point halftime lead and held on for a 69-57 victory over 12th ranked University of Mary Washington on Wednesday evening in Arlington, Va. The Eagles fall to 21-3 overall, and 14-3 in Capital Athletic Conference play.
After the Saints opened the game with a pair of baskets, UMW responded with three pointers from sophomore Elizabeth Dofflemyer and senior Megan Green. But the Saints would score eight of the last 10 points of the quarter, and lead after one, 12-8.
Marymount opened the second by continuing its run, scoring the first eight points to build a 20-8 lead. Senior Brianne Comden responded with a pair of layups to trim the deficit to eight, but marymount scored the final four points of the frame to take a 26-14 lead to halftime.
The second half was nearly a stalemate, as each team captured a quarter by one point. After Marymount started the quarter with a three pointer, UMW answered with four straight points to return the margin to 29-18 with 8:52 left.
The margin would swing back and forth between 11 and 16 points for much of the quarter. After the Saints ran the lead to 42-23, the Eagles scored the last eight points to cut the deficit to 42-31 heading to the fourth quarter.
The teams traded blows in the fourth, alternating points until the 2:00 mark, when the Saints would score five straight points to build a 60-45 lead. The Eagles made four buckets down the stretch, but Marymount connected on 9-10 free throws in the final minute to preserve the decision.
Comden led UMW with 16 points on 8-16 shooting, and added eight rebounds. Green had 12 points and five assists, while Jordan Pamlanye scored 10 and added three steals.
Mary Washington shot 19-56 from the floor (33.9%), making 2-12 three point tries and 17-20 free throws. Marymount shot 52.2% (24-46), making 3-9 three point attempts and 18-24 free throws. The Eagles held a 33-26 lead in rebounds.
Mary Washington will close the regular season on Saturday at Wesley College at 1:00 p.m.