MOUNT IDA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Leicester Gymnasium, Leicester, Mass.
FINAL: BECKER 78, MOUNT IDA 72
LEICESTER, Mass. -- Sophomore Cassidy Harrison (Foxboro, Mass.) scored 21 points, while junior Ciara McKissick (Charlton, Mass.) added a triple-double effort of 12 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists as Becker held off a late charge to post a 78-72 non-league college women's basketball victory over Mount Ida Tuesday evening at Leicester Gymnasium.
The host Hawks (6-4) overcame an early three-point deficit with a 23-4 run over a six minute stretch of the opening quarter to take a 23-7 lead on McKissick's lay-in, but the visiting Mustangs (6-3) responded by scoring the 14 final points of the frame to close back to within a bucket (23-21) on a pair of free throws from sophomore Valerie Martin (Derry, N.H.). Becker used a 12-0 run over the first four minutes of the second stanza to extend its edge back to 14 (35-21) on a McKissick jumper, and the hosts took a 45-34 advantage at the break before building that margin to as many as 18 points (67-49) with 8:41 remaining. Mount Ida trailed by 16 points (70-54) before mounting a furious comeback in the final 5:38 of action, as senior Imani Bumpus (Dedham, Mass.) sparked a 12-0 Mustang run in a 3:06 stretch that narrowed the visitors' gap to four (70-66) with 2:47 to play. That margin shrunk to three on a Bumpus free throw with 2:05 remaining, but that was as close as Mount Ida would come in the closing minutes, as free throws by Harrison and junior Adrianna Dowdy (East Haven, Conn.) in the final 91 seconds of play iced the hosts' triumph.
Harrison connected for a trio of three-pointers while adding four rebounds and four steals in the win for Becker, which received a double-double effort of 14 points, 13 boards and three assists from Dowdy. Junior Katey Anderson (Beachwood, N.J.) chipped in with nine points and four assists for the Hawks, who received six points from freshman Jazlyn Contreras (Pawtucket, R.I.) along with five points and nine caroms from sophomore Sarah Ware (Oakham, Mass.). The hosts shot 39 percent (28-71) from the floor overall and canned 11 three-pointers for the contest while holding a 54-41 rebounding advantage that led to 24 second chance points.
Bumpus matched Harrison's game-high total with 21 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists in the setback for Mount Ida, which received 20 points, nine boards, five steals and three assists from Martin in seeing its two-game winning streak come to an end. Senior Patricia Liotta (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) added 10 points, eight caroms, two assists and two steals for the Mustangs, which received eight points and five rebounds from senior Jaime Moscato (Taunton, Mass.). Senior Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) collected five assists, three steals and three boards for the visitors, who shot 35 percent (24-69) overall and connected for seven from behind the arc for the evening, as Mount Ida held a 17-11 scoring edge at the foul line in seeing its nine-game series win streak that dated back to February 2009 against Becker come to an end.
Mount Ida travels to Bennington, Vt. on Thursday afternoon to take on Southern Vermont in a non-league outing that tips-off at 1:00 p.m., while Becker heads to North Adams, Mass. on Thursday evening to square off with MCLA in a non-league clash beginning at 6:00 p.m.