Junior Mercedes Perez drained a career-high 36 points, as Division III St. Joseph’s Women’s basketball edged the University of Mount Saint Vincent, 54–49, in Skyline Conference action on Friday afternoon on the road.
The Bears (7-7) jumped out to a 12-0 advantage, with Perez dropping in seven points. But the Dolphins inched back, slicing the deficit to 14-7 by the first quarter’s end.
While Saint Vincent (2-10) trimmed the lead to five points (27-22), St. Joe’s weathered the storm for the time being.
But the Dolphins took their first lead of the tilt with 2:47 remaining in the third quarter.
However, Perez scored on back-to-back possessions, and sophomore Aaniya Telford dropped in a bucket inside to keep the Bears ahead, 42–36, entering the fourth period.
The final quarter saw several lead changes, with Saint Vincent briefly pulling ahead with under three minutes to go in the game.
But sophomore Kristen Donovan (Maspeth, N.Y.) swiped the ball on the ensuing possession, leading to a Perez bucket, and St. Joe’s followed with a crucial defensive stop.
Down the stretch, Perez sank four of four from the charity stripe with a little over a minute to go in the contest, and sophomore Jasmine Chan-Clayton also nailed her free throws to seal the deal for the Bears.
Donovan finished with seven points, eight assists, and seven steals, while Telford added six points and six rebounds. Sophomores Nikki Grech and Emma Centrella grabbed nine and eight boards, respectively, in the victory.
The Bears return to Brooklyn’s The Hill Center Tuesday, January 13 at 6L00 p.m. against Yeshiva University.
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