NEWTON, Mass. – In a wild game to open the 2017 portion of their schedule, the Mount Ida College women's basketball team snapped a five game skid with a 61-60 victory over visiting non-conference foe Becker College on Tuesday evening at Mount Ida Athletic Center.
Becker outrebounded the Mustangs 65-23, including a 38-7 edge on the offensive glass, but Mount Ida forced 35 Hawks turnovers and had 23 steals while shooting 9-20 (45%) from the three-point line and holding Becker to just 26.5% from the floor.
With the game tied at 60 with just seven seconds left, junior Imani Bumpus (W. Hartford, Conn.) hit one of two free-throws to cap a 13-point scoring night that included 4-7 from long range, as well as four assists, four steals and a block in 31 solid minutes in just her second start of the year.
Three members of the Hawks recorded double-doubles, led by Cassidy Harrison (Foxborough, Mass.), with 15 points, 11 rebounds and five steals, and Ciara McKissick (Charlton, Mass.), who had the opposite numbers with 15 rebounds, nine of them on the offensive glass, and 11 points, along with four assists, three steals and two blocks.
Mount Ida (3-6) opened the contest on an 11-0 run but saw Becker come back and take a one-point lead late in the second quarter before the Mustangs grabbed a 29-27 edge at the break.
Junior Trish Liotta (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) led all players with 18 points on 4-9 shooting from behind the arc, with 14 of those points and all four of her three-pointers coming in the first half. Liotta also had a game-high six steals for Mount Ida, who tied for the fifth most steals in a game with their defensive performance.
The teams were knotted at 57 apiece with two minutes to play after Becker sophomore Katey Anderson (Beachwood, N.J.) hit a three-pointer, her only bucket of the contest. Harrison made a pair of free-throws to give Becker a two-point lead with 1:43 remaining, but Mount Ida regained the lead thanks to a free throw by Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) and a layup by Liotta with under a minute to play.
McKissick was fouled with 26 seconds to play and made one of two to tie the game again, and Liotta grabbed a defensive rebound after Harrison missed a layup when McKissick got her own rebound on the second free throw attempt.
Bumpus drove to the basket and was fouled by McKissick, and she netted her first attempt to deliver the game-winning bucket.
Freshman Alisa Benson (Middletown, R.I.) had ten points and three assists in the win, along with a team high four rebounds. Katlyn Jesse (Marshfield, Mass.) added five points and dished out three assists.
For the Hawks (3-6), Adrianna Dowdy (East Haven, Conn.) finished her double-double with thirteen points and thirteen rebounds, while Micaela Rice (Charlton, Mass.) had eight points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block off the bench.
Mount Ida returns to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Saturday when they travel to Boston for a 2:00 pm game against Simmons.
Becker returns to New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) play when they host Lesley at 1:00 pm Saturday.