EMMITSBURG, Md. (December 3, 2022) – In the 43^rd edition of the Catholic Clash, Mount St. Mary's and Loyola found that made baskets were plentiful. Despite getting out shot percentage wise, the Mount limited its turnovers to create more opportunities and pull away in the final minutes, 73-66.
 
Saturday's showdown marked the first time since February 2021 that five Mount players posted double figures in scoring. Michaela Harrison tied a season high with 19 points. Isabella Hunt maintained an all-around performance, scoring 10 points with a career high seven steals along with seven rebounds.
 
Of the 32 turnovers, 23 were committed by the Greyhounds, compared to nine by the Mountaineers. This allowed the Mount to win despite falling short in the shooting percentage margin, 54 percent to 45.8 percent.
 
With the win, Mount St. Mary's improves to 2-4 and remain undefeated at home. Loyola falls to 4-5 on the season. All-time in the Catholic Clash, the Mount bumps it's record to 27-16.
 
Taleah Dixon returned for the Greyhounds to supply 18 points, followed by Lex Therien with 16.
 
Loyola stayed one step ahead of the Mountaineers in the first quarter. The Mount fought back to earn ties at three different junctions.  Three-point shots proved elusive for the home sides, going 0-for-5 in the frame. A last second putback from Koi Simms gave the visitors a 14-12 edge by period's end.
 
The Mount captured their first lead at the 5:48 mark with Jasmine Lindsay-Huskey nailing a wide-open trey – the home side's first of the afternoon. A quick 4-0 run with buckets from Jessica Tomasetti and Natalie Villaflor created some separation and forcing a Greyhounds timeout after accumulating a 31-25 advantage. The stoppage proved effective as Loyola held the Mount off the scoreboard for the rest of the quarter, allowing Dixon to tie the score as time expired.
 
Both teams continued firing to start the second half and the offense for both sides increased. The teams combined for 48 points, with the Mount eclipsing the Hounds 25-23 on the board and 71 to 69 percent from the floor. Three pointers from Harrison early in the frame helped the Mountaineers gain the upper hand, but a late breakaway play resulting in a Dixon layup kept the contest within a possession entering the fourth quarter.
 
The well ran dry for the Mount in the opening minutes of the final frame, further compounded by several turnovers to cause their sloppiest span of play. That opened the door wide enough for Bri Rozzi to flip the lead in Loyola's favor, 64-63, with 3:58 to go. All was quiet until the last two minutes, when Villaflor put the contest firm in the Mount's grasp. Hunt supplied back-to-back steals, enabling the graduate student to score fast break layups. Defense kept its end of the bargain, and free throws cemented the victory.
 
Mount St. Mary's remains home to challenge Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday (Dec. 7). Tip-off is at 7 p.m. from Knott Arena.