EMMITSBURG, Md. (Dec. 6, 2019) - The 41st edition of the Catholic Clash between Mount St. Mary's women's basketball and the Loyola Greyhounds proved to be an agressive, physical contest commonly seen in rivalry games. Coming down to the final minute, it was a strong shooting effort from the Mountaineers in the end that netted them an 81-75 victory Friday. With the win, Mount extends their winning streak to three games and improve to 4-3 on the season.  

The Mount finished with 26 out of 50 for a total of 52 percent, marking the third time already this year that the team has completed more than half their shots. It was a grinding effort that weaved its way through a combined 52 turnovers, 38 fouls, and 27 steals. Loyola took the rebounding margin 37-24 and the steal margin 16-11, while Mount totaled 18 assists to 17 and four blocks to two. 

"I think both teams had a lot of offensive runs, and neither team played well defensively." Mount Coach Maria Marchesano said. "We had a frustrating defensive first half, but did pick it up a little in the second half. Ultimately it was a battle that went down to the wire and we made a couple more plays than they did."

Kendall Bresee was the main catalyst for the Mount, becoming the first player this season to earn a double-double and a 20+ point effort.  Playing the full 40 minutes, Bresee went 8-of-13 from the floor, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and added five free throws for a new career high of 25. The 11 rebounds she hauled in will also serve as a career high. 

"Confidence is a big thing for me." Bresee said. "So when I see one go in, I'm ready to shoot the next one. Everyone cheering and having my back made me feel better to get my shot off. The preparation this whole week was awesome. We were very locked in and it was a great team win." 

As is custom in all Mount wins so far, four players registered double figures in scoring. Along with Bresee's 25 points, Jatarrikah Settle added 15, Michaela Harrison tallied 12 and Bridget Birkhead earned 11. Harrison led the team with six assists and two blocks. 

Loyola's (1-7) Stephanie Karcz fell one steal shy of a triple-double with 11 rebounds, 10 points and nine steals. She also led the game with seven assists. 

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair that included six ties. Both teams stayed within one possession of each other, with the Mount leading by three at the 15-12 mark. Loyola finished with a miniature 7-2 run to lead after 10 minutes by a 19-17 score. 

The Greyhounds maintained their advantage for the majority of the second frame. A Harrison three pointer and Settle layup helped the Mount gain brief leads at the midway point, but a pair of treys by Loyola pushed the lead back in their favor, 33-28. That's when the Mountaineers turned on the jets with a 9-0 run to close out the half. The exclamation point came with 14 seconds left as Harrison drilled a three with time expiring on the shot clock. 

Loyola surged ahead to open the third quarter and regain a two point edge. The advantage would be theirs until the 6:43 mark, when Bresee caught fire from downtown. She would hit three treys on three consecutive possessions - the first one at 6:43 tied the game and the second one at 6:16 put the Mountaineers ahead. 

In hindsight, Bresee's second shot put the Mount up for good in the contest. However, victory was not won so easy. The Greyhounds continued to pressure even after the Mountaineers pushed the lead up to 10 with 8:40 and 4:18 remaining in the game. Loyola managed to cut the deficit in half and then worked to try and complete the comeback. Foul trouble began to plague both teams, and the game was largely settled on free throws. Karcz put a layup through inside of two minutes, and her teammate Isabella Therien hit one from the foul line to trim the Mount's lead to one possession, 75-72, with 1:09 on the clock. 

But 20 seconds later, a costly Greyhound turnover stopped their rally in its tracks. Bresee, Harrison, and Settle combined to hit their foul shots down the stretch to seal the victory.  

Mount St. Mary's has a quick turnaround with another home game this weekend. The Lehigh Mountain Hawks will battle the Mountaineers with a 1 p.m. tip-off Sunday (Dec. 8).