Mercy (2-8, 1-4 ECC)  45-48—93

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Mercy College scored five unanswered points in the final 17 seconds of the game to earn a wild 93-91 victory over Daemen College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball action.  Mercy snapped a six game losing streak and improved to 2-8 overall and 1-4 in the ECC. Daemen saw its record fall to 3-9 overall and 1-6 in the league.

Daemen took a 91-88 lead after senior Lindsay Stoddard (Limestone, N.Y./Allegany-Limestone) drained two free throws with 24 seconds left, but the host Mavericks knotted the score at 91-91 after freshman Maggie Salomone (Narragansett, R.I.) drained a three-pointer seven seconds later. Daemen quickly advanced the ball downcourt, but Salomone intercepted a pass near mid-court with five seconds left and went in for an uncontested game-winning layup just before the final buzzer.

The loss overshadowed two outstanding individual efforts by Stoddard and sophomore Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster). Stoddard record a triple-double for the Wildcats, as she finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. 16 of her 18 points came in the second half. Stilwell drained six three-pointers and finished with a career-high 36 points. She also recorded five assists and four steals and became the first Daemen women's basketball player to score 30 points in a game since 2013 graduate Ellie Allen netted 33 in a 101-69 win over Willberforce University on Jan. 12, 2012. Freshman Taylor Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y./Immaculata) added 18 points and 13 rebounds for Daemen, her third double-double of the season. Fellow rookie Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier), who entered the game averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 9.1 rebounds a game, got into foul trouble and was limited to just six points, four rebounds and three blocks in just 18 minutes of action.

Senior Alexis Monserrate (Locust Valley, N.Y.), who entered the game averaging just 3.3 points per game, connected on all four of her three-point attempts and totaled 18 points off the bench for Mercy. Salomone finished with 18 points and four assists, while junior Tanayzha Augustine (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Maria Nardulli (Staten Island, N.Y.) contributed 13 points.

Daemen made seven of its first 12 shots en route to 15-5 lead five minutes into the game. Mercy quickly cut the lead to four points, 15-11, but the Wildcats answered with a three-pointer by freshman Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) and a layup by Stilwell to regain a nine-point advantage, 20-11. Daemen then went scoreless for the next three minutes and Mercy took advantage with a 12-0 run. The Mavericks connected on five of six shots during the run, and a layup by Monserrate with nine minutes left before intermission capped the run and gave the hosts a 23-20 lead. Mercy later took its largest lead of the first half, 42-35, following a layup by Augustine with 2:20 left before intermission, but the Wildcats cut the lead to two points following a layup by senior Jillian Fitzner (Hamburg, N.Y./Immaculata) and a three-pointer by Stilwell. Mercy took a 45-42 lead into the break.

Daemen opened the second half with a 13-4 run that was started and capped with a three-pointer by Stoddard. The second triple came with 17:44 left to play and gave the Wildcats a 55-49 lead. The Wildcats later took their largest lead of the second half, 63-56, following a jumper by Stoddard with 13:37 left, but the Mavericks regrouped following a timeout and took a 69-67 lead following a 13-4 run. Monserrate's fourth three-pointer of the game with 10:01 left capped the run.

Neither team led by more than three points over the final 10 minutes, which featured five ties and six lead changes.

Daemen shot 42-percent (32-77) from the field and made 10-of-36 three-point attempts. The Mavericks shot 39-percent (32-82) overall and 47-percent (8-for-17) from behind the arc. Mercy went to the charity stripe 28 times and made 21 (15-of-16 in the second half), while Daemen was 17-for-23 from the free throw line. Daemen posted a 51-50 advantage in rebounding, and Mercy posted a commanding 27-4 edge in bench points.

Daemen returns to action tomorrow (Jan. 7) when it plays a non-league game at Dominican College, a member if the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). Game time is 5:30 p.m.

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