EMMITSBURG, Md. (February 24, 2022) – Seven Mount St. Mary's women's basketball players posted points and the entire team delivered a stout defensive effort as they defeated the Sacred Heart Pioneers, 63-40, at Knott Arena.
 
Michaela Harrison led the Mount with 12 points and was one of four to reach double figures. Isabella Hunt and Kayla Agentowicz added 11 points each, with Hunt coming within one rebound of a double double. Kendall Bresee added 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
Mount St. Mary's overpowered Sacred Heart in every statistical category, shooting 38 percent to their 28, grabbing 37 rebounds to their 35, eight to four in assists and eight to two in steals. SHU handed the Mount 19 turnovers which resulted in 22 points, and the home bench outpaced the visiting bench 19-12.
 
The 23-point margin is the widest for any of the Mount's Northeast Conference victory this season, and second largest for the year in general. At 9-7 in league play, the Mountaineers remain in a tie for third place with Wagner.
 
Sacred Heart got a game-high 13 points from Sonia Smith and seven rebounds from Kelsey Wood. The Pioneers drop to 7-14 (6-10 NEC).
 
The first quarter started off as a defensive struggle before each team made a run. Sacred Heart scored eight consecutive, capped off by a Sonia Smith triple at the 2:01 mark. But the last two minutes belonged to the Mount, with Jada Lee and Agentowicz knocking down treys. The grad student hit hers as time expired to bring the home side within one.
 
Bresee hit a jumper at 7:09 in the second quarter, and after another defensive lull, the Mount began to surge ahead. A 9-0 run capped off by a Harrison triple pushed a two-point tussle into a decided 11-point lead at the break.
 
SHU chipped into the deficit to start the third, but Hunt recovered a lost ball and earned an and-one on a driving layup to put the game back to double digits. Late in the period, the Pioneers had trouble converting layups, allowing the Mount to extend the advantage further. Free throws by Agentowicz pushed the game to 51-34 after three.
 
A quiet fourth succeeded in extinguishing any doubt as to who would be victorious. Sacred Heart was limited to six points for the second time in the game. The lead rose as high as 26 with a layup from Tess Borgosz at the 1:28 mark.
 
Mount St. Mary's hosts Central Connecticut for their home regular season finale at 1 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 26).