KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Feb. 4, 2023 – The USMMA Mariners women's basketball team gave the fans a game to remember at Liebertz Gymnasium this afternoon. Matt Dempsey's club won their ninth straight contest by taking down the Mount Saint Mary Knights 75-70. The Mariners' momentous victory ended the Knights' 11-game winning streak and leapfrogged USMMA into the Skyline Conference's number one seed. Mount Saint Mary dropped to 15-4 (12-2 Skyline) while Merchant Marine improved to 19-2 (14-2 Skyline).
 
Game Links

• Box Score
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Sophomore Grace Jackson 

This game was truly a tale of two halves. Half number one saw senior Lauren Hunter (Tinley Park, Ill.) held to only four shot attempts and five points total as the Knights' defense was relentless underneath the rim. Using a next man up mentally, sophomore Grace Jackson (Parma, Idaho) came through and put the offense on her back.
 
Jackson matched her career-high with four made three-pointers in the opening half alone en route to a 15-point barrage in the first half. The sophomore sniper drilled 4-of-8 shots from beyond the arc along with a productive 3-for-4 mark at the charity stripe.
 
It was Jackson who ignited the flame in what was a heavily important sequence late in the first quarter. Trailing 17-7 with two minutes to go, Jackson popped a corner three to kick off a 7-0 Mariners run to end the first quarter. Despite their slow start, USMMA was down only one possession at 17-14.
 
With the Mariners' footing established, the two teams went punch-for-punch in quarter number two. Mount Saint Mary led by as many as eight at 22-14, but answers from senior Madison Demos (Downers Grove, Ill.) and sophomore Abby Stramski (Jones, Okla.) kept the Mariners in the fight down 35-34 as the first half came to a close. The trio combined for 13 of the Mariners' 20 second-quarter points.
 
As the second half began, so did the Knights' mission to slow down Jackson. That part of the defensive gameplan worked as Jackson was held to six points the entire second half on 3-of-9 shooting. What did not work for Mount Saint Mary was stopping the Mariners' drives to the rim.
 
USMMA's drive-to-the-rim style of offense came to life in half number two as the Mariners scored 41 points in the second half while registering only one three-pointer. Lanes in the paint finally opened up and were discovered by the Mariners' offense which led to a 47% mark from the field in the latter 20 minutes.
 
As the Mariners' interior game got cooking, so did the Knights'. Kate Hughes, who was held to four points in the first half, blitzed Merchant Marine with 12 points in the third quarter. Despite the offensive awakening of the Mariners starting five, the Knights possessed a 53-49 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
 
With one quarter remaining and so much at stake, Hunter and sophomore Kaira Winston (Chesterfield Va.) took over the game. Hunter scored nine of her 16 points in the final frame while Winston dropped eight of her 15 points in the final quarter. Winston, who came into the game as a 51% free-throw shooter, calmly went 7-for-7 from the line this afternoon and now owns a 55% free-throw percentage.
 
Never out of the game, USMMA's largest deficit in the fourth quarter was six at 59-53. Coach Dempsey's squad practiced what he preaches, stay with game plan. Grinding out every possession, Merchant Marine scratched and clawed to tie the game at 67 on Jackson jumper with 2:39 to go. Kings Point was rocking.
 
Despite her hot second half, Kate Hughes missed an open layup that would have put the Knights up 69-65 and Jackson never would a chance to come down and tie the game. A key stop of Lauren Desrats gave the Mariners the ball with 1:19 to go. Merchant had yet to lead all afternoon.
 
With the shot clock running down, Winston forced a three that came up strong. After carrying her team in half number one and passing the torch in half number two, it was a putback jumper from Jackson to put USMMA up 69-67 with 44 seconds left. Jackson's 21 points led all scorers and was a season high.
 
A subsequent missed three by Asia Rivera was countered by Winston's fifth and sixth free-throw makes of the afternoon. 71-67 Mariners.
 
The final punch to the jaw was an intercepted Erin Smith pass by Winston who took it to the rack for a three-point play which she calmly converted. USMMA delivered payback for their loss on the road to the Knights a month ago. Mount Saint Mary's 11-game winning streak was over and Liebertz Gymnasium was in a state of delirium.
 
In the biggest game of the season, every Mariner starter delivered at least nine points as the starting five accounted for 71 of the team's 75 points.
 
USMMA will look to build on this signature win Wednesday evening, Feb. 8, against Sarah Lawrence at 5:00 p.m. inside Liebertz Gymnasium. Live stats and a live video feed of the game will be available with links on the USMMA Men's Basketball Schedule Page.
 
Receive USMMA Men's Basketball News Right To Your E-Mail!
If you would like to receive the latest news, including all press releases, for the USMMA men's basketball team (or any other team at the academy), sent directly to your e-mail, fill out this form.
 
Follow USMMA Athletics On Social Media!
Be sure to follow USMMA Athletics on social media to get up-to-the-minute updates on your favorite teams! Start following today on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!