BUFFALO, N.Y. (January 4, 2024) – Mount St. Mary's women's basketball bolted out of the gates Thursday morning, but the Canisius Golden Griffins answered and rode the wave to a 62-49 victory.
Redshirt junior
Jada Lee had her best game scoring the basketball as a Mountaineer. The Pittsburgher finished with 17 points going 8-for-17 from the floor.
Isabella Hunt collected the fifth double-double of her career, grabbing 12 boards to go along with a 10-point morning.
The Mount could argue this game featured their fastest start of the season.
Jessica Tomasetti, Lee, and Hunt scored on the team's first three possessions for a 7-0 run. After the Griffs got on the board with a foul shot, the visitors patched together another 8-2 burst, culminating in a
Jackie Christ layup with 3:21 remaining. Shooting 50 percent from the floor, the Mount held a 17-9 advantage following the first period.
However, hindrance came in the form of foul trouble for both Hunt and
Jo Raflo. That provided an opening for Canisius, who caught fire with an 8-for-10 beginning in the second quarter. The Golden Griffins took their first lead at the 20-19 mark and were up 34-26 at the break.
The second half played largely even as Canisius worked to maintain their lead. Mount's best chance came midway through the fourth quarter on a pair of Raflo baskets with a third bucket from Hunt, cutting the game to 50-45. The Golden Griffins retorted with a score before the media timeout, and the next two out of it – enough of a push to preserve their win.
Three-point shooting proved to be a sore subject for both sides. While the Mount was successful at limiting the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) leader in three-point percentage to 21 percent, they were only able to counter with one triple of their own. Canisius edged Mount St. Mary's in rebounding 37-31 and assists 14-12, while earning three times the number of trips to the charity stripe.
Mount St. Mary's stands at 3-9 on the season and 0-3 in the MAAC.
Remaining in the Buffalo region, the Mount faces Niagara on Saturday (Jan. 6) afternoon.
