irBALTIMORE, Md. (December 30, 2024) – To close out the 2024-25 non-conference schedule, Mount St. Mary's women's basketball battled back from as much as 10 down to bring their contest with Morgan State to the wire. But in the end, the Bears prevailed, 72-68.
 
Anna LeMaster, Gabrielle Kennerly, and Jo Raflo all posted double figures. LeMaster led all scorers with 18 points, followed by Kennerly's 15 and Raflo's 13. Giana Hoddinott played 28 minutes, posting five points and matching her season high with five assists. As a collective group, the Mount gathered 24 trips to the line and made 18 foul shots, both highs for the campaign.
 
After six defensive stops to open the game, both teams saw the floor open on offense. Morgan State shot 57 percent for the first half, while the Mount shot 47 percent. A pair of runs gave the Bears a 10 point lead at the end of the first quarter. The Mountaineers kept pace in the second period as both teams made two-thirds of all attempts. 12 trips to the line, including nine makes, helped the Mount close the gap to 39-33 MSU at the break. 
 
In the third, the Mountaineers charged back. Scoring the first six points of the frame, Kennerly tied the game on a pair of foul shots. She would hit a triple to take the lead outright for the first time since the 4-2 mark. The game would go back-and-forth with the Mount holding a slim lead most of the way. The Bears would tack on a three to lead 52-51 entering the fourth.
    
Madison Ruff led off the fourth with a layup to pull the Mount ahead, only to see the Bears respond with a 7-0 run. Raflo would hit another layup at the 2:03 mark to make it 63-62. Michaela Bogans of Morgan State then hit a crucial three to claim the advantage back. They would go up by as much as four, and despite a LeMaster trey, the Mountaineers were unable to regain the edge.
 
Mount St. Mary's returns to conference play Saturday (Jan. 4) for a 1 p.m. game at Niagara.