KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Jan. 6, 2026) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's basketball team delivered a dominant defensive performance on Tuesday night, rolling past St. Joseph's (L.I.), 60–27, in Skyline Conference action. The Mariners extended their winning streak to five, improving to 10-3 (7-1 Skyline), while the Golden Eagles slipped to 7-5 (3-4 Skyline).
Game Links
The Mariners had four players register double-digit scoring efforts and two post double-doubles on the evening. Sophomore Carolae Barton (Waldorf, Md.) led all Blue and Gray scorers with a game-high 17 points and tied for another with 10 boards while turning away four shots, also a game-best. Junior Emily Grasseler (Millbrook, N.Y.) chipped in 11 points and tied a game-best with 10 rebounds while senior Hannah Ramsden (Port Aransas, Texas) added 12 points and dished out a game-high four assists. Freshman Natalie Doan (Mount Dora, Fla.) provided a spark off the bench with 10 points.
Merchant Marine shot 39.3 percent from the field (24-of-61) and held St. Joseph's to just 20.4 percent shooting. The Mariners won the rebounding battle 45–34, scored 32 points in the paint, and forced 25 turnovers, converting them into 21 points. USMMA also finished with an 18–4 advantage in second-chance points.
The Blue and Gray set the tone early, as sophomore Breanna Sommers (Casa Grande, Ariz.) knocked down a three-pointer at 9:46 to open the scoring and give USMMA a 3–0 lead. Barton followed with a jumper at 7:22 to make it 5–1, and after converting a free throw at 6:38, the Mariners began to pull away. Barton finished inside at 5:05, and Sommers added another jumper at 4:56 to extend the lead to 12–4. Back-to-back threes from freshman Jaden Lodice (Littleton, Colo.) at 4:01 and Ramsden at 3:24 pushed the margin to 20–4, and Doan capped the surge with a triple at 2:40 as the hosts carried a 23–7 advantage late into the quarter.
Defense continued to set the tone early in the second, as Merchant Marine held the Golden Eagles scoreless for over three minutes. Barton converted a fast-break layup at 2:37 to make it 28–10, and Ramsden followed with a finish in the paint at 2:12 to push the lead to 30–10. Doan closed the half with a jumper at 0:37, and Lodice added a layup off a Ramsden assist with four seconds left, sending the Mariners into the break firmly in control at halftime, 34–10.
St. Joseph's opened the second half with a three-pointer at 9:45, but KP responded immediately. Barton knocked down two free throws at 9:09, then finished inside at 8:19 to stretch the lead to 38–15. Grasseler scored on consecutive possessions at 6:49 and 5:31, and Ramsden added a fast-break layup at 6:17, as the Mariners continued to widen the gap. After forcing multiple turnovers, Grasseler converted another transition bucket at 4:17, pushing the advantage to 46–18, and Merchant Marine closed the third quarter up 50–18 following two free throws from Doan at 1:09 and cruised in the fourth en route to a convincing 60–27 victory.
Addison Dellaporta and Madelyn Barone scored seven and six points for St. Joseph's on the evening.
Merchant Marine returns to the hardwood on Friday, Jan. 9, against Sarah Lawrence in Skyline action at 7 p.m. at Liebertz Gymnasium.
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