SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (November 9, 2021) – If there was any doubt the Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team could contend with squads in more elite conferences, they were erased Tuesday after they battled Seton Hall. The Mount played a determined contest where they outscored the Big East challenger for much of the game. But a rough stretch in the second quarter, featuring several costly turnovers, swung the game in SHU's favor, 81-68.  

Senior duo Kendall Bresee and Michaela Harrison carried the offensive workload, with Bresee going 9-for-14 from the floor to finish with 22. Harrison scored 20 thanks in part to shooting 50 percent from downtown. Isabella Hunt added eight points and a team high seven rebounds, while keeping her team in contention with a +5 margin while on the floor. As a unit, the Mount outshot Seton Hall, making 49.1 percent from the floor compared to 43.5 percent.

Lauren Park-Lane led the Pirates and all scorers with 24 points, and Andra Espinoza-Hunter added 21 for the home side. SHU benefited from 26 Mountaineer turnovers and 27 trips to the charity stripe.  

Seton Hall appeared to set the tone at the tip, nailing a trio of triples to lead 9-0. But the Mount countered with a 9-0 run of their own, spearheaded by Bresee with four points. Using an attacking offense, the visitors hung tough despite an onslaught from a fast transition offense that couldn't miss from beyond-the-arc.

The two teams cooled off a bit shooting wise before the break, but the Pirates took advantage of several turnovers from the Mountaineers. SHU scored 15 points off 11 Mount turnovers in the second quarter to build a sizeable lead at halftime.

Using a burst of energy, the Mount worked their way back, cutting the deficit by half. For the rest of the third quarter, the game hovered around 10 points. Seton Hall took a 61-50 edge into the final frame.

The strong effort continued into the fourth, as a layup from Jessica Tomasetti brought the Mount to within six points. However, the Pirates hit clutch free throws down the stretch to ice the game.

Mount St. Mary's unveils their 2021 Northeast Conference Championship banners Saturday in their home opener against Valley Forge. Tip-off is 1 p.m. at Knott Arena, with pregame ceremonies occurring around 12:45.