MOUNT IDA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Mountaineer Athletic Center, Bennington, Vt.
FINAL: MOUNT IDA 77, SOUTHERN VERMONT 69
BENNINGTON, Vt. -- Senior Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) scored 23 points and dished out four assists to lead four players in double figures as Mount Ida used an 18-8 third quarter run to post a 77-69 non-league college women's basketball victory over Southern Vermont Thursday afternoon at the Mountaineer Athletic Center.
The visiting Mustangs (7-3), who have already matched their entire win total of last season in just 10 outings to date, blistered the nets at a 64 percent clip in the opening quarter to take an early 21-16 advantage, but the host Mountaineers (2-11) responded with an 8-0 run in the first 2:19 of the second stanza to grab a 24-23 edge on junior Maddy Main's (Bennington, Vt.) lay-in. The squads battled to a 36-36 draw at the break before a three-pointer by sophomore Dani Biggers (Broadalbin, N.Y.) gave Southern Vermont a 45-43 lead with 7:23 remaining in the third quarter, but a Muir three-pointer sparked a 9-0 Mount Ida run over a 3:16 stretch that gave the visitors a 53-45 edge.
The Mustangs maintained that eight-point advantage (61-53) heading into the final 10 minutes of action, but the Mountaineers began the fourth quarter with nine unanswered points of their own to take a 62-61 lead on freshman Brenna Hudson's (Malone, N.Y.) lay-in with 7:31 to play. The teams traded baskets before Muir's three-pointer on the 18th and final lead change of the day gave the visitors a 66-65 edge with just under seven minutes remaining, and Mount Ida closed the game on an 11-4 run that was iced by a combined nine points from Muir, senior Imani Bumpus (Dedham, Mass.) and freshman Melody Millett (Naples, Maine).
Muir missed only one of nine field goal attempts and was a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc on the day for the Mustangs, who received 13 points, eight rebounds and five steals from sophomore Valerie Martin (Derry, N.H.). Bumpus added 12 points, six boards and five steals for the winners, who also received 11 points and three steals from senior Jaime Moscato (Taunton, Mass.). Senior Patricia Liotta (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) chipped in with nine points for Mount Ida, which received a combined eight points and five rebounds off the bench from Millett and sophomore Jessica Cyr (Ashford, Conn.). The Mustangs shot 44 percent (28-63) from the field overall and held a 15-4 scoring advantage at the foul line, as the visitors converted 31 Mountaineer turnovers into 26 points.
Main notched a double-double effort of 15 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks to lead all five starters in double figures in the setback for Southern Vermont, which received 14 points from Hudson along with 12 points and 12 assists from sophomore Taylor Mallett (Berwick, Maine). Biggers collected 12 points and eight boards from the hosts, who also received 12 points and four caroms from junior Kayla Emmi (Syracuse, N.Y.). The Mountaineers shot nearly 50 percent from the field (28-57) and canned nine three-pointers while holding a 41-29 rebounding advantage in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Mount Ida hosts Rivier in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference outing on Saturday afternoon at the Athletic Center that tips-off at 1:00 p.m., while Southern Vermont hosts Dean in a New England Collegiate Conference clash on Saturday afternoon at the Mountaineer Athletic Center that also begins at 1:00 p.m.