MOUNT IDA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Athletic Center, Newton, Mass.
FINAL: MOUNT IDA 75, RIVIER 70
NEWTON, Mass. -- Senior Jaime Moscato (Taunton, Mass.) scored a career-high 30 points to lead Mount Ida to a 75-70 Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over Rivier Saturday afternoon at the Athletic Center.
Moscato netted 21 points in the opening half of action for the host Mustangs (8-3, 1-1 GNAC), who overcame a one-point first quarter deficit by doubling up the visiting Raiders (0-7, 0-3 GNAC) by a 20-10 margin in the second stanza in taking a 37-28 advantage at the break. Rivier whittled that margin to three (43-40) with 3:28 remaining in the third quarter on a lay-in by junior Megan Hamel (Colebrook, N.H.), but Mount Ida extended its edge to seven (54-47) heading into the final 10 minutes of action on Moscato's lay-in in the closing seconds of the frame.
After the visitors again crept back to within five (59-54) on a three-pointer by junior Lizzy Meehan (Nashua, N.H.) with 7:18 to play in the contest, the hosts used a quick 6-0 run that was capped by senior Breanna Muir's (Wareham, Mass.) three-pointer with just over five minutes remaining to take their largest lead (65-54) of the day. The Raiders closed back to within the final margin on a pair of occasions in the last two minutes of action, as lay-ins by Moscato and fellow senior Patricia Liotta (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) sandwiched a Muir free throw that iced the Mustangs' triumph.
Muir nearly notched a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the victory for Mount Ida, which has already surpassed its entire win total of last season in its first 11 games. Liotta rounded out a trio of Mustangs in double figures with 11 points and four boards, while senior Imani Bumpus (Dedham, Mass.) added six points and six caroms for the hosts. Sophomore Jessica Cyr (Ashford, Conn.) and freshman Melody Millett (Naples, Maine) combined for 10 points for the Mustangs, who received six rebounds each from sophomores Alisa Benson (Middletown, R.I.) and Taylor Churchill (Fort Fairfield, Maine). Mount Ida shot 35 percent (24-68) from the field overall and held a 23-14 scoring advantage at the foul line for the contest, as the Mustangs converted 19 Raider turnovers into 12 points.
Junior Kaylee Kacavas (Dracut, Mass.) notched one of three double-double performances on the day for Rivier with 22 points, 13 rebounds and three assists, as Hamel added 16 points and 13 boards in the setback for the visitors. Senior Emilee Kacavas (Dracut, Mass.) collected 11 points, 10 caroms and eight assists for the Raiders, who received 10 points and eight rebounds from sophomore Alexis Ivory (Nashua, N.H.). Meehan chipped in with nine points, five boards and three assists off the bench for Rivier, which shot 34 percent (26-76) from the floor and held a 60-45 rebounding advantage on the day, as the visitors converted 23 offensive boards into 20 second chance points.
Both teams will take on Albertus Magnus in their next respective Great Northeast Athletic Conference outings, as Mount Ida travels to New Haven, Conn. to square off with the Falcons on Tuesday afternoon beginning at 5:00 p.m. Rivier hosts Albertus Magnus on Thursday afternoon in Nashua, N.H. in a match-up that also tips-off at 5:00 p.m.