EMMITSBURG, MD – Siena Women's Basketball erased a 14-point second half deficit late in the fourth quarter at Mount St. Mary's but could not complete the comeback attempt in its 2022-23 MAAC opener. The Saints (6-5, 0-1) Saw their three-game winning streak come to an end by way of a 65-59 loss to the Mountaineers (5-5, 1-1) at Knott Arena in Emmitsburg, Maryland Monday evening.
Taking on The Mount for the first time as league foes, Siena scored the game's first five points, but entered a back-and-forth battle for much of the remainder of the first half. The home team ended the first half on a 15-5 run to carry a 38-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Mount St. Mary's added the first two buckets of the third quarter to pull out to a game-high 42-28 advantage with 8:56 remaining in the third quarter, but the Saints used a consistent rebound advantage to claw back, with sophomore Anajah Brown connecting on the following two buckets to set up a 9-1 run that trimmed the deficit to six.
The Mount would grow the lead back into double figures once more near the end of the third period, but a monster momentum swinger by way of junior Ahniysha Jackson, who turned a contested three-point make into a four-point play to start the fourth quarter, would have Siena right back in the contest. Siena cut its deficit to single digits twice over the next three minutes, but back-to-back Mount St. Mary's three-pointers gave them a nine-point lead with 6:16 to go.
The Saints' final stand would come thereafter, making up all nine points over the next three minutes by way of another clutch three from Jackson, a pair of free throws from freshman Elisa Mevius, and consecutive buckets from freshman Angel Jones. Mount St. Mary's did not give up its lead with 3:12 remaining, scoring eight of the game's final nine points and capitalizing on several missed Siena free throws down the stretch.
Mevius led the Green and Gold with 14 points and added seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks, while Brown turned in a double-double for the third consecutive game with 12 points and a career high 13 boards. Jackson joined the pair in double-figure scoring with 13 points by way of four three's made. The Saints fell despite out-shooting The Mount at 40 percent and holding a sizeable 49-32 rebounding advantage.
Mount St. Mary's got a game-high 19 points from graduate student Michaela Harrison, while Jessica Tomasetti went for 18 points and ten boards. The contest served as the 1000th career game coached by Siena head coach Jim Jabir, in the midst of his 35th season at the helm of an NCAA collegiate program.
Following a stretch of nine days without a contest, Siena will enter a ten-day lull before continuing conference action at Rider on Thursday, December 29 at 7 PM.
