NEWTON, Mass. – Junior guard Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) went five for five from behind the three-point arc and had 19 points in the first half en route to a career high 23 point performance, helping lead the Mustangs to an 88-48 victory over Bay Path University in the first day of the women's basketball Mustang Classic at Mount Ida Athletic Center.
Mount Ida opened up a 28-15 lead after the first quarter and extended it to a 30 point advantage, 57-27, at halftime on the way to earning their first win and evening their record at 1-1 on the year.
Brittany Crosby (Riverside, R.I.) and Trish Liotta (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) added eleven points apiece and Mount Ida held the Wildcats to under 30% from the field while shooting 44% themselves.
Senior Brenna Roy (Stafford Springs, Conn.) led the visitors with 12 points, while Dallas Jackson (Springfield, Mass.) was just shy of a double-double with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds, as well as three assists and two steals.
The Mustangs never trailed in a game in which they had a 32-7 edge in points off turnovers and forced 13 steals, including two from Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Mass.), who had eight points, eight rebounds and four assists. Liotta also added four helpers and Katlyn Jesse (Marshfield, Mass.) scored seven points and had six caroms.
Muir made three-point jump shots on three out of four possessions in the second quarter as the Mustangs outscored the Wildcats 29-12. They held their opponents under 15 points in each quarter, including allowing just seven points in the third quarter.
Off the bench, sophomore Jessica D'Esposito (Malden, Mass.) was 2-4 from downtown and scored eight points in just eleven minutes.
Briana Kujawski (Webster, Mass.) had six points off of the pine for Bay Path (0-2).
Game 1: Elms 75, Johnson State 71
An entertaining affair in the opening game saw both sides hold the lead for extended periods of time, but a block by Elms senior Alexandra Marques (Newington, Conn.) with ten seconds to play helped to preserve a slim lead, and the Blazers were able to hold off the Badgers to improve to 1-1 on the year, sending Johnson State to the same record.
Marques led the Blazers with 18 points on 8-13 shooting, while Badgers forward Sarah Voorhis (Nashua, N.H.) led all players with 20 points.
Johnson State trailed by six in the second quarter but came back to take a 24-22 lead into the break. The second half saw a better offensive output from both teams, as Johnson State shot over 52% in each of the last two quarters and Elms fired at a 66% clip in the third quarter, outscoring the Badgers 30-22 to take a six point lead to the final frame.
Five players were in double figures for Elms, including Kayla Aberedale (Housatonic, Mass.), who scored 16 points in 23 minutes off the bench, and Molly Moulton (North Adams, Mass.), who was 2-2 from behind the three-point lien and had 14 points to go with a game-high four steals.
Emily Burr (East Hartford, Conn.) had 12 points, three assists and three steals for the Blazers, and Mackenzie LaRochelle (Chicopee, Mass.) led all players with eight assists to go with her 11 points.
Sharing the load with Voorhis for Johnson State was Kasey DeGreenia (Concord, Vt.), who scored 18 points and led the Badgers with five assists and three steals, and Ashley Goddard (Jamaica, Vt.), who added 11 points in the loss.
Both DeGreenia and Goddard had massive nights on the boards, with each picking up 15 assists to complete a double-double.
As the Mustang Classic continues, tomorrow's pre-scheduled matchups will see the two winners face off at 3:00 pm when the Mustangs host Elms College. Bay Path and Johnson State will meet in the opening game of the day at 1:00 pm.