PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (Jan. 3, 2023) – The USMMA women's basketball team picked up in 2023 right where they left off in 2022 with their seventh-straight victory. USMMA's 76-64 road win over St. Joseph's-Long Island improved its record to 10-1 (6-1 Skyline). The Golden Eagles fell to 5-4 (3-1 Skyline) in defeat.
Game File
Merchant Marine's sixth-straight victory out in Patchogue was fueled by an offensive barrage. Senior
Lauren Hunter (Tinley Park, Ill.) led the charge with game- and season-highs in rebounds with 25 and points with 30 on the strength of shooting 10-for-21 from the field. Hunter's 25 boards were also a career-high to go along with a career-high 10 made free throws. The senior was not alone in her efforts as sophomore
Grace Jackson (Parma, Idaho) chipped in 16 points headlined by a 3-for-8 mark from downtown.
Double figures were contagious for the Mariners tonight as both senior
Madison Demos (Downers Grove, Ill.) and freshman
Hannah Ramsden (Port Aransas, Texas) contributed 12 and 11 points respectively. Ramsden's first career double-figure performance set a career-high in points as she shot 2-for-5 from distance and 3-for-7 from the field.
What allowed the Mariners to stay at arm's length in this game was their strong play in the middle quarters. In the second and third frames, USMMA outscored the Golden Eagles, 42-29, thanks in large part to Ramsden. Eight of the freshman's 11 points came in the second quarter, five of which were scored within the first 90 seconds of the period.
Ramsden passed the baton to Jackson as the second half began as the sophomore banked 11 of her 16 points in the third quarter. Jackson and the Mariners went back and forth with St. Joe's Alyssa Adomaites, who dropped eight points of her own in the third.
In a game that saw Merchant Marine in front 56-44 as the final quarter of regulation began, Hunter and Adomaites took the lead for their respective offenses. The largest play of the game was an offensive rebound secured by Hunter with 5:04 remaining and the Mariners up 59-53. A foul by Julianna Knice sent Hunter to the line for two successful free throws to extend USMMA's lead to seven.
From then on, Hunter took over the game. Number 45 scored 11 of her 14 fourth quarter points in the final 5:04 to go along with 10 total rebounds in the period. Truly a menace on both ends of the floor, Hunter could not be stopped when it mattered most.
St. Joseph's cut the deficit to as little as five at 67-62 with 2:36 remaining, but as you might expect, Hunter answered the bell offensively with a board and a put-back jumper with an and one to boot. The three-point play gave the Mariners breathing room they would carry the rest of the way to win number 10 on the season.
Matt Dempsey's quest for an eighth-consecutive win will not be easy as Merchant Marine heads Upstate to visit Mount St. Mary this Thursday, Jan. 5, in a 2022 Skyline Conference Final rematch. USMMA will seek to avenge last season's loss in the Finals against the Knights with a road win. Catch all the action on at 7 p.m. from Newburgh, N.Y. Live stats and a live video feed of the game will be available with links on
the USMMA Women's Basketball Schedule Page.
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