BOSTON, Mass. – Mount Ida took a two-point lead to open an overtime period against Simmons College but couldn't find any more points in the extra frame and suffered a 74-71 overtime loss to the Sharks on Tuesday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball action at Moore Gymnasium.
Sophomore forwards Ashley McAdams (Freeport, N.Y.) and Liz Brasa (East Hartford, Conn.) each scored 15 points to lead Simmons (5-13, 1-4 GNAC) over the Mustangs (6-14, 0-6 GNAC) in a game in which both teams were looking for their first conference win.
Mount Ida first year guard Shanell Nardone (Tewksbury, Mass.) knocked down a jumper with 58 seconds gone in the overtime to give the visitors a 71-69 lead, but it would be the Mustangs' only points of the period as the Sharks scored the final five points of the night to come away with the win. Brasa made a lay-up to give the home team a 73-71 lead with 1:35 remaining in the game. The teams traded possessions before Brasa came up with a steal with 10 seconds left, and Simmons junior forward Gracie Rolfe (Newton, Mass.) was fouled and went to the line for the hosts. She canned the first of two free throws for the Sharks to give them a three-point lead, but her second shot missed and the Mustangs' Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Mass.) came down with her game-high 17th rebound as Mount Ida called time with four seconds left. Unfortunately, Mustang's first year guard Trish Liotta's (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) three-point try at the buzzer just missed the mark and Mount Ida couldn't force a second overtime period.
Nardone made the front end of a pair of free throws to give Mount Ida a 67-66 lead with 1:46 left in the regulation and the Mustangs got the ball back, but first year forward Presley Silva (Wilmington, Mass.) stole the inbounds pass under the basket and fed sophomore guard Kimberlee Hixon (Taunton, Mass.) for a layup, followed by a free throw to give Simmons a 69-67 margin with 68 seconds left in regulation.
Sophomore guard Stephanie Champoux (Tewksbury, Mass.) converted a pair of free throws on the other end with 57 ticks showing on the clock for Mount Ida to tie the game for the fifth time in the final four minutes of the half, and neither team was able to score again, and the contest went to the extra session.
Martinez netted a game-high 19 points on 9-16 from the field and added three blocks, two assists and a steal to lead Mount Ida.
The Sharks took an early 20-10 lead, capped by a three-pointer from junior guard Jennifer Janiak (Chelmsford, Mass.) with 11:54 to go in the first half. Mount Ida put together a 15-6 stretch, led by a pair of trifectas from Liotta, to cut the deficit to 26-25 with 6:12 to play in the opening session. Simmons answered by scoring 10 of the next 12 points to increase its margin to 36-27 with three minutes to go in the half and took a 42-36 lead into the intermission. The Sharks' bench combined for 21 of the team's first half points.
The Sharks maintained a 46-38 advantage at the 17:05 mark of the second stanza, before the Mustangs went on a 14-2 run, fueled by a trio of three-pointers, to take a 52-48 lead with 13:31 left in regulation. Mount Ida later held a 55-52 lead with 10:13 on the second half clock, but Simmons ripped off seven straight points, including five from Brasa, to take a 59-55 cushion with 7:39 to play in the second period. The Mustangs showed their resiliency by scoring five of the next six points, including a layup from Martinez to knot the game at 60-60 with 4:03 remaining in the period.
Mount Ida first year guard Imani Bumpus (West Hartford, Conn.) dropped in 14 points, dished for five assists and hauled in six rebounds. Nardone ended the evening with 11 points, five caroms, two assists and a pair of steals.
McAdams was 6-11 from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds to go with a pair of steals and an assist for the Sharks, while Brasa pulled down eight boards, came up with two steals, handed out an assist and blocked a shot in 26 minutes off the bench. Rolfe finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes and Silva chipped in with eight points, five rebounds, three assists, a block and a game-high four steals.
The Mustangs will host Johnson & Wales University on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m, while Simmons will be in action again on Thursday as well, when they host GNAC foe Anna Maria College at 7:30 p.m.