EMMITSBURG, Md. (January 14, 2023) – Sparked by a huge fourth quarter from Aryna Taylor and a big first quarter from Jo Raflo, the Mount St. Mary's women's basketball team soared to a 68-58 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffins Saturday.
 
With the win, the Mount improves to 7-9 (3-4 MAAC) and are 7-1 on the Knott Arena floor.
 
Taylor was instrumental in the final period, scoring seven points with four rebounds and a key assist. The redshirt senior finished with 11 points and tied a career high with eight rebounds. Raflo had 13 points by the end of the opening quarter, finishing with a team high 16. Five Mountaineers posted double figures in the contest, with Natalie Villaflor adding 14, Jessica Tomasetti contributing 12 and Michaela Harrison accruing 10.
 
For the Golden Griffin, Sisi Eleko posted a double-double for the first time in her career. Vannessa Garrelts and Cheyenne Stubbs added double figure outings. The visitors fell to 6-11 (3-5 MAAC) on the season.
 
Canisius began the game on a 6-0 run, but the Mountaineers countered with an 11-0 run of their own. By the first media timeout, Raflo already had 10 points as she led the spark. The combination of Villaflor and Taylor alongside Raflo continued to fire shots as the Golden Griffins continued to stay at an arm's length pace. The teams combined to shoot 59 percent for the period, culminating in a 26-20 score in favor of the Mount.
 
The game then had a complete change of character, transforming from an offensive shootout to a defensive struggle. This initially benefited the Golden Griffins who rallied to tie at the 3:46 mark and go ahead one minute later. Back-to-back triples from Harrison and Villaflor put the lead back in the Mount's hands. The home side led 38-32 as the teams took to the locker room. Despite shooting 21 percent for the quarter, Mount St. Mary's wound even with the competition in the frame.
 
A quick start to the second half with layups from Tomasetti and Villaflor set the tone early. But the scoring went cold a second time as the Mount had to rely on defense for four minutes. Holding Canisius at bay, Tomasetti found the bottom of the net twice, extending the Mount's lead to eight points entering the final quarter.
 
Fast buckets from Harrison and Raflo around the seven minute mark were enough to maintain the lead until the closing moments. After Eleko scored a layup for Canisius to cut it to four, Taylor rose to the occasion down the stretch. On the ensuing possession, Harrison found her teammate in the corner and the trey drained through the hoop. The Golden Griffins responded with foul shots on the other end, but Taylor found Isabella Hunt for a layup. The last push came as Taylor drew two fouls of her own, hitting all four free throws from the line. Foul shots by Tomasetti and Villaflor over the last 30 seconds accounted for the final points and defense limited Canisius down the stretch.
 
Staying at home, the Mount hosts Marist on Thursday (Jan. 19) evening. Tip-off is 7 p.m. from Knott Arena.