EMMITSBURG, Md. (January 28, 2021) – After being stunned in the opening minutes on their home floor, Mount St. Mary's women's basketball rallied to try and keep their undefeated record at Knott Arena intact. But every chance to pull level with Fairleigh Dickinson went by the wayside, dealing the Mount a 59-54 defeat Thursday.
 
Kendall Bresee was the key link to the comebacks, securing her fifth double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds. The senior added four assists, four steals and a pair of blocks. Aryna Taylor reached double figures with 16 points.
 
Mount St. Mary's (6-4, 5-2 NEC) shot an uncharacteristic 33.8 percent (22-65) from the floor, with 5-for-22 from downtown. On the other side, Fairleigh Dickinson (8-4, 4-3 NEC) shot 49 percent (24-49) – their third best percentage this year.
 
The visiting Knights stormed out of the gate, sparked by a 13-0 run in the opening three and a half minutes. Normally stout on offense, the Mount's start was rockier, mustering four points over the first eight minutes. Three pointers by Taylor and Bridget Birkhead pulled the team within nine by the end of the quarter.
 
Working to seize the momentum back, Bresee scored six of eight in a run, and drew an and-one to earn the first attempt at pulling level. She would miss the foul shot, and FDU would cash in a layup seconds later. That layup boosted an 8-0 Knights run, putting the margin at the same spot at halftime as the first quarter.
 
The deficit would not improve in the early moments of the second half, as Fairleigh Dickinson increased their advantage to 17 with 5:52 left in the third quarter. But the Mount wasn't finished yet, scoring 13 of the next 15 to stay within striking distance.
 
Continuing to fight back, the Knights' lead slowly melted away as the Mount surged ahead. A layup on a fastbreak by Jessica Tomasetti made it a one possession game with 6:22 remaining. The Mount then had four opportunities to tie or take the lead in the next several minutes, but three shots clanked off the rim and a fourth possession resulted in a turnover.
 
Down six with a little over a minute to go, Taylor drained a trey to pull back within three. The defense then forced FDU to throw away an inbounds pass, leaving the home side one more chance. Taylor got one look on a contested shot that fell short, and a second try after an offensive rebound missed off to the right. Maria Roters secured the rebound, hit the dagger free throws and ended the game.
 
The trio of Roters, Madison Stanley and Lindsey Mack combined for 46 of FDU's 59 points. Roters led the charge with 18.
 
Mount St. Mary's and Fairleigh Dickinson wrap up their regular season series Friday (Jan. 29) at 4 p.m. inside Knott Arena.