EMMITSBURG, Md. (November 19, 2022) – Utilizing a strong second half, Mount St. Mary's women's basketball defeated Navy 68-59 to obtain their first win of the 2022-23 season.
 
After shooting 32 percent for the first 20 minutes, the Mount (1-3) rallied to shoot 55 percent down the stretch, including 8-for-12 in the third period. Uncharacteristically cool from beyond-the-arc much of the day, the team hit three of their four triples in the final frame.
 
Michaela Harrison led all Mountaineers and four in double figures with 19 points. Jessica Tomasetti enjoyed an all-around performance of 16 points with a career high six foul shots, alongside six rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Natalie Villaflor added a career best 15 points and Isabella Hunt chipped in 11 points and a game-high seven boards.  
 
Navy (0-4) received 17 points for Sydne Watts and 12 more from Maren Louridas. Both players tallied six rebounds each.
 
A miniature 6-0 run helped the Mount gain the upper hand early on, sparked by a Villaflor layup at the 6:34 mark. Harrison made two more shots before the Mids could respond. Shots at the charity stripe from Tomasetti at the beginning of the second quarter gave the home side a double-digit lead. That margin grew as high as 13 until the visitors mounted a comeback attempt. A late run by Navy closed the gap from nine points to two, thanks in large measure to a pair of treys from Mimi Schrader.
 
Louridas added a layup off a turnover to open the half which tied the score. The sides played back-and-forth until Tomasetti stepped to the line again with a pair of makes to give the Mountaineers the lead back at 29-27. These free throws inspired a 10-point run capped off by Hunt's duplication of Tomasetti's foul line effort. Navy managed to keep level into the fourth, with the Mount holding a 44-35 advantage.
 
For the first few minutes of the fourth, both offenses fell quiet until 7:09 when Navy's Shannon Clarke added foul shots. Mount continued to come up short as the Mids cut the deficit down to four. Then at the 5:00 mark, Tomasetti rose to the occasion again. The junior powered into the paint for a driving layup, then registered a miraculous turnaround jumper forced by the expiring shot clock. The made shot electrified the fans and set up the clutch runs by both teams.
 
Navy began to answer almost every shot the Mount took with Watts and Louridas hitting clutch shots as the margin bounced between five and 10 points. Needed one last charge to complete the win, Harrison provided the final boost with the triple with 2:05 remaining, and a layup off a turnover with 1:48 to go. Free throws cemented the victory at the seconds ticked down.
 
The win moves the Mount's record for home openers at Knott Arena to seven in a row and 23-13 all-time. It's also the fourth time Mount St. Mary's defeated Navy in the home debut, and the 20^th overall.
 
Next up is a quick turnaround for the team as they travel to Cornell Monday (Nov. 21). Tip-off is 7 p.m. from Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York.