LEICESTER, Mass. -- In their first game of 2014, Mount Ida got a career-high 21 points from freshman Katlyn Jesse (Marshfield, Mass.) and defeated Becker College 65-56 in non-conference women's basketball on Saturday afternoon.
Jesse was 10-16 (62.5%) from the field to lead the Mustangs (3-7), who snap a three-game losing streak, over the Hawks (2-7), despite a game-high 27 points from Becker senior Haley Ooms (Valatie, N.Y.).
Four of Mount Ida's starters were in double-figures, including 15 points apiece from Stephanie Champoux (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Jenn Rafuse (Brockton, Mass.).
Rafuse led the way with seven rebounds, while Champoux had a game-high five steals and dished out three assists.
Mount Ida jumped out to a 16-11 lead, then used seven straight points from Champoux to extend their advantage to 23-15 at 9:40 left in the first, before Ooms answered with a three-pointer.
An 11-4 run helped the Mustangs open up a double-digit lead and take a twelve point edge into the half. That advantage reached 15 points thanks to a free-throw by Abbey Fedigan (New Fairfield, Conn.), who had ten points, but the hosts scored the next eight points to keep the game close.
Becker pulled to within six points with 7:09 remaining thanks to two free-throws by Brooke Martel (Griswold, Conn.), who was the only other Hawk in double-figures with ten points off the bench.
Ooms added a three-pointer to cut the Mustang lead to four points on Becker's next possesion, but Jesse and Champoux each converted baskets as Mount Ida reclaimed a more comfortable lead, which they held for the final six minutes of play.
Jesse grabbed four rebounds and added two assists and two steals, while Rafuse had three steals, Champoux had a pair of blocks and Fedigan had four thefts, the same number of rebounds, and a pair of helpers.
Ooms hit five of her ten attempts from behind the three-point line and made her day a double-double with 11 rebounds, to go with six assists, four steals and two blocks.
Senior Jacquleine Chila (Monroe, Conn.) added eight points for Becker, to go with five rebounds.
The Mustangs will continue their non-conference schedule on Tuesday evening when they travel to UMass Dartmouth for a 7:00 pm contest.
Becker returns to New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play, where they are 2-1, when they host Newbury at 8:00 pm the same night.