EMMITSBURG, Md. – Ashley Christie (Miamisburg, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) scored a layup with 42 seconds remaining and Kayla Grossett (Toronto, Ontario/David and Mary Thompson C.I.) grabbed a defensive rebound with 24 seconds remaining to lift Mount St. Mary's past Monmouth 60-56 in Northeast Conference (NEC) women's basketball action on Monday. With the win, the Mount (13-14, 9-7 NEC) clinched a spot in the upcoming NEC Tournament.

After the Hawks (15-12, 10-6 NEC) stormed back from a 10-point deficit with a 13-2 run to grab a 55-54 lead, Christie drove the left side of the lane and scored off the glass with 42 seconds remaining to regain the lead for the Mountaineers. The sophomore converted the free throw to give the Mount a two-point lead. Abby Martin went to the line with the chance to even the score, but after making the first free throw missed the second and Grossett corralled the rebound with 24 second on the clock. Grossett then sealed the victory by making two at the stripe to lead the Mount to its fifth-straight victory. Christie finished the game with eight points and Grossett chipped in seven points in the winning effort.

Sydney Henderson (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) paced Mount St. Mary's and narrowly missed her second-straight double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds. Jessie Kaufman added 13 points.

Alysha Womack fueled Monmouth with 19 points in the loss.

Mount St. Mary's held a double-digit lead with 6:14 remaining, but with the aid of Christie and Grossett rallied for the victory after a furious Monmouth comeback attempt.

The game remained close throughout the first half with neither team able to take more than a four-point lead. The Hawks grabbed a four-point lead with 4:02 left in the half before the Mountaineers went on a 7-0 run to take a 27-23 lead with 1:22 remaining. Grosett hit a 3-pointer and Kaufman and Henderson each nailed a jumper in the surge. After Shira Shecht and Sandra Andresson (Tallinn, Estonia/Audentes School) traded baskets, Carly Thibault drained a trey with eight seconds remaining to send the teams to the locker room tied at 29.

The Hawks scored the first six points of the second half to take a 35-29 lead. With Monmouth maintaining a six-point edge with 16:22 remaining, Mount St. Mary's rolled off 19 of the next 22 points to take a double-digit advantage.

Henderson started the run with a layup at 15:05. After Christie made two free throws at 13:33, Henderson tied the game at 37 with another basket in the paint 33 seconds later. Tara Lonergan (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) gave the Mount the lead on two free throws at 12:06 and then added two more from the charity stripe after a technical foul at 10:47 for a 41-37 margin. Henderson made it a seven-point game with a basket from behind the arc at 10:21.

Betsy Gadziala momentarily halted the Mount's surge by making 3 of 4 at the foul line sandwiched in between a Henderson layup. Grossett then made a pair at the line at 8:19 and Lonergan converted two free throws at 7:13 for a 50-40 lead.

Womack and Henderson traded baskets to maintain the 10-point difference before the Hawks went on a 13-2 run to regain the lead for a final time. Monmouth went 7 of 8 from the free throw line in the spurt and Gabby Singer sparked the run with five free points.

The Hawks grabbed the lead on a layup by Alexis Canady with 74 seconds remaining, but the advantage was short lived after Christie scored in the lane to regain the lead for the Mountaineers it would not relinquish 30 seconds later.

Lonergan posted seven points on the night off the bench. Selina Mann (Gainesville, Va./Battlefield) tallied seven assists, five rebounds and five steals.

Mount St. Mary's has won five-straight games for the first time since the 1999-00 season when the Mount registered a seven-game winning streak. The nine wins in league play are the Mount since the squad went 10-8 in the circuit in 2005-06. The Mountaineers finished the regular season 10-3 at home, its best mark since the 1999-00 team went 10-1 and also marked the 10th time the squad has won double figures at Knott Arena.  

Mount St. Mary's, who has clinched its 21st appearance in 23 years in the NEC Tournament, travels to Bryant on Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m.