ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (March 12, 2024) – Mount St. Mary's women's basketball advanced to the quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship, earning a rousing 60-47 victory over the Marist Red Foxes Tuesday.
The #6 seeded Mount plays #3 Siena on Thursday as their quest for a MAAC title continues.
Seven Mountaineers scored in the contest and 10 players picked up a rebound.
Jo Raflo led the charge in the points department with 17, and
Jaedyn Jamison had the most rebounds with nine.
Jessica Tomasetti earned 11 and
Jada Lee 10 to post double figures. Both Tomasetti and
Isabella Hunt tied for a game-high with four assists.
A 24-point second quarter paced the team to the win. That total is tied for the most in a quarter for the team this season, matching their first period at FDU on November 22. Rebounding hit 40 for the afternoon, marking the sixth time this year the Mount eclipsed that number on the boards.
Three lead changes occurred in the opening minutes, with Marist getting the advantage first. The Red Foxes held an 11-7 edge at the first media timeout. Defenses hunkered down to conclude the quarter, but the Mount accounted for the lone field goal as Marist carried a 12-9 lead into the second period.
Raflo connected on a triple to pass the lead back at 14-12 and after Marist tied the score, the Mountaineers went on an 11-0 run to force a timeout. Hot shooting – from beyond-the-arc in particular – helped the team propel to a 13-point halftime advantage at the break. Mount St. Mary's tallied seven triples in the first 20 minutes.
After the teams traded buckets to begin the second half, the Mount went on a 7-0 run to force another Red Foxes timeout. Marist would fight back to cut the contest to 11, but the Mountaineers countered with the final six points of the frame.
Getting the game back to the halftime lead was more than enough to finish the game. Baskets by Tomasetti and Jamison brought the contest to 54-35 and solid defense ensured Marist never got too close the rest of the way.
The victory is the Mount's 10
th tournament win in the past six seasons, and the team advances to the quarterfinals of the MAAC Championships for the second straight year.
Tip-off for the quarterfinals is 1 p.m. Thursday from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
