EMMITSBURG, Md. (March 7, 2023) – Mount St. Mary's women's basketball played solid on the defensive end throughout, and clutch offense late propelled them to a first round win at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament. The Mount defeated Canisius by a 54-41 final.
The two-time defending winner of the Northeast Conference, the Mount has now won eight conference tournament games in a row, dating back to 2020.
Michaela Harrison scored a game-high 18 points, coming within three of third place on the team's all-time list.
Aryna Taylor and
Jessica Tomasetti contributed 14 points each, with Tomasetti adding 10 rebounds for a double-double.
Isabella Hunt grabbed nine rebounds with three assists and three steals.
Defense held the Golden Griffins to 26 percent from the field and played a big role in forcing 21 turnovers. The team held the rebounding margin close, trailing by one at 38-37 by the final buzzer.
Cheyenne Stubbs scored 15 to lead Canisius and Sisi Eleko added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Mountaineers scored the first four points of the game before Canisius responded with a triple. Continuing to find success long range, the Golden Griffins took their first lead at 9-6 off a Stubbs shot. Harrison leveled the score with the Mount's first made three of the game, but Canisius tacked on another make to lead 11-9 after one.
A late second quarter surge helped the Mount pull the game into a tie at the halftime break. After the Griffs went up 20-12 with 4:17 left, Taylor responded with a triple, then Tomasetti capitalized on two turnover, slicing the deficit to one point. After Stubbs hit foul shots on the other end, Harrison found enough open space to drill the game tying three as the seconds wound down.
Mount looked to take charge in the third quarter, building leads as high as six through the frame's two media timeouts. Out of the medias, Harrison found a corner trey and
Jo Raflo drove the baseline to put the lead into double digits and force a Golden Griffins timeout. But as in the first quarter, Canisius answered back with a 5-0 run to trim the contest down to six entering the fourth.
The advantage, however, held firm as the Mountaineers limited the Golden Griffins scoreless over the first five minutes of the fourth. Even when shots were not falling, the Mount crashed the offensive glass, with one possession lasting over a minute. Canisius made one last push to six, but momentum shifted after Eleko was whistled for a taunting technical, opening the door for a 6-0 Mount run that finished off the contest.
LOOKING AHEAD
Mount St. Mary's faces top seeded Iona at 1 p.m. Wednesday (Mar. 8) from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
The Gaels finished the season at 23-6 with an 18-2 mark in the MAAC. First-Teamer Juana Camilion is the team's leader in points at 14.1 while Ketsia Athias scores 12.1 per game and averages 8.2 rebounds. Iona rattled off 16 straight wins at one point, clinching the number one seed before falling to Marist on the last weekend of the year.
The two teams met for the first time this season, and the Gaels swept the season series, defeating the Mountaineers 63-44 in January and 50-37 in February.
