NEWTON, Mass. – Mount Ida women's basketball suffered a 76-45 defeat to visiting UMass Boston in non-conference women's basketball action on Tuesday night at Mount Ida Athletic Center.

The Mustangs (2-5) were victimized by the three-point shooting of the Beacons, who made 10-19 (52.6%) from downtown as they improved to 3-2.

Freshman Grace Geary (Falmouth, Mass.) was the engine for the Beacon's offense, scoring a game-high 24 points off the bench on 7-13 shooting from the field, including 4-8 from downtown and 6-7 from the free-throw line. Geary also had a game-high five assists, as well as two blocks and one of the Beacon's ten steals.

The visitors jumped out to a 9-2 advantage, as Mallory Nelson (Topsham, Maine) scored a quick seven points. Nelson would go on to score 12 points in the first half, and 16 in the game.

Mount Ida fought back and pulled to within two points, at 14-12, with the help of Imani Bumpus (West Hartford, Conn.), who finished the game with nine points.

Over the course of the next seven minutes, however, UMass Boston went on an 18-4 run, and went to the break with a 35-22 advantage.

Geary came alive with 15 points in the second half, making three of her four attempts in the final twenty minutes.

Despite eight second half points from Katlyn Jesse (Marshfield, Mass.), who had ten points and three assists in the game, Mount Ida could not pull within single digits of their opponents for the rest of the game.

Mustangs sophomore center Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Mass.) came up a little shy of a double-double, with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Stephanie Champoux (Tewksbury, Mass.) added eight points, three assists, two steals and seven rebounds.

Olivia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) and Katrina Edwards (Springfield, Mass.) helped the Beacons on the boards with 10 rebounds apiece, as UMass Boston dominated the glass, 50-34. Murphy added nine points in the win, while Edwards had two blocks and two steals and sophomore Taje Burston (Springfield, Mass.) had four assists, six points and six rebounds.

Mount Ida has a pair of road games to send them into the winter break, beginning this Saturday when they visit Fisher College at 2:00 pm.

The Beacons travel to Keene State on Saturday for their sixth straight road game before finally having their home opener next Tuesday.