Junior forward Cherie Parisi (South Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) notched a season high 27 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Mount Ida College women's basketball team to their second Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory over visiting Pine Manor College, 83-73, Saturday afternoon in Newton, Massachusetts. The Mustangs improve to 8-13 overall and 2-6 in the GNAC while the Gators drop to 2-17 on the year, 0-8 in conference play.
Mount Ida kicked off the game with a 6-0 run after neither team could convert a basket in the opening two minutes. It remained very close knotting the score seven times in the next eight minutes while neither team showed momentum favoring their side.
The Mustangs eventually pulled ahead by seven after a free throw by freshman Katie Morvan (Northbridge, MA/Northbridge) up 29-22 with 4:08 to go in the half. The visitors hung tough with the hosts and went ahead by one with time winding down after a lay-in by Gator freshman Paulette Wright (Baltimore, MD/Seton Keough) at 35-34. The teams headed to the locker room with Pine Manor leading by one (35-34).
The score tied three more times in the opening of the second half with both squads exchanging basket for basket. The Mustangs mounted a small charge to pull ahead by double digits after a lay-up by junior Nicole Casimiro (Lee, NH/Oyster River) up 58-46 with 14:14 to go in the half.
The visitors kept it close trialing by six at 61-55 on a Wright lay-in at the 10:36 mark. The hosts jolted a small burst of offense immediately following to inflate the lead back to 12 after a Parisi jumper in the lane up 69-57 with 7:16 on the clock.
Pine Manor would not go away cutting the Mustang lead to four points after another Wright lay-in trailing 74-70 at the 3:43 mark. It was a short lived comeback after a 4-0 run on two consecutive jumpers by Casimiro and freshman Jenny Davis (Bristol, England/Filton College) to go ahead by eight at 78-70.
The Gators ultimately gave in towards the final ticks handing the Mustangs their eight victory of the season and their second GNAC win of the year. The officiating was suspect in this one with a combined total of 57 fouls called. Neither team helped their cause with 27 turnovers for the hosts and 30 for the visitors. Both teams shot 33 percent from the floor and neither squad managed to net a three pointer the entire game.
Along with a monster game from Parisi, Mount Ida had two other players in double figures. Morvan netted her first career double-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and a block. Casimiro and junior Ashley Boyd (Hanson, MA/Hanson-Whitman) combined for 21 points and 10 boards. Freshman Hannah Blum (Raleigh, NC/Broughton) splashed eight points and grabbed eight caroms.
The visitors saw four players in double figures led by Wright who matched Parisi with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore Enjolee Phillips (Hartford, CT/Weaver) netted 16 points and swiped four steals while freshman Stacie Beauford (Baltimore, MD/Old Mill) tallied 13 points four steals. Senior Amanda Dennis (Haverhill, MA/Whittier Tech) chipped in 12 points and 12 caroms as well.
The Mustangs will travel to neighboring Lasell College this coming Tuesday starting at 7:00 p.m.