MANSFIELD – The Mansfield women's basketball team completed their most successful month of the season by taking a 62-52 road win at Cheyney on Wednesday evening.
 
The Wolves (0-10) scored the first points of the game, but their lead didn't last long. Ellie Thompson sparked again early, scoring eight consecutive points to put Mansfield ahead 12-6 at the first media timeout.  Thompson and Mia Leonard were also busy on the boards, combining for seven rebounds in just the first five minutes.
 
In the first half, Mansfield (2-15, 1-12 PSAC) outrebounded Cheyney 25-11, and connected on 47.1% of their shots from the field.  The Wolves shot just 37% heading into the intermission and gave up 10 offensive rebounds, leading to 11 second chance points for the Mounties.
 
The Wolves came out of the break with a renewed energy, going on a 10-0 run to take their first lead since scoring the first basket of the game.  Leonard responded with a shot to put the Mounties back in control, heading into the media timeout with a 40-39 lead and 4:22 left in the third quarter.  The third quarter saw Cheyney outscore MU 13-12, but it would be the only quarter in which that happened.
 
Out of the timeout, Paige Whitfield hit a 3-pointer to extend the MU lead. On the ensuing drive up the court, Erin Gibbons collected an offensive rebound and then hit her first long range shot of the night to put Mansfield up 46-39.
 
The fourth quarter started with plenty of action. Just over a minute into the final period of play, Cheyney was assessed a technical foul, allowing the Mounties to gain a 10-point advantage, their largest lead since the first half.
 
However, the Wolves ceased any signs of relinquishment as they continued to chip back-and-forth over the final eight minutes of play. The 10-point gap is where it all ended, proving to be the closest margin for Cheyney this season. Jamyra Maye led the pack with 15 points to go along with four rebounds, three steals, and the game-high three blocks. Marlon Herring scored 10 points and was just two rebounds shy of a double-double.
 
Thompson finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals in a well-balanced effort during her 31 minutes of play. The freshman has scored 33 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in the last three games.
 
Leonard led all players with 19 points, her most potent offensive output of the season. The sophomore shot 8-of-12 from the field (67%) and also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. Entering Wednesday, the sophomore ranked fourth on the Mansfield single-season leaderboard for blocks behind Rachel Rieder's mark of 48 in the 2002-03 season.  With another three against Cheyney, Leonard now has 45 this year.
 
For the third time in four games, Mansfield struggled again from three, hitting less than 20% of their shots from beyond the arc. Despite a cool night of shooting from the field, Gibbons reached her season-high of four assists for the third time this year. The sophomore also grabbed three rebounds and scored six points. 

Noelle Cameron added nine points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes of play. 

Mansfield finished with 24 second chance points and 30 points in the paint. Cheyney had just two second chance points and 14 points in the paint.  In total, MU outrebounded the Wolves 51-35.

The Mounties snapped a three-game skid heading into a weekend of PSAC action at Decker Gym. Mansfield hosts Millersville this weekend for a 1 p.m. game. The last time these two teams matched up this season, the Marauders slipped away with a 55-47 win over the visiting Mounties which was sealed in the final minute of play.  Mansfield still has the taste of that tough loss and will hope to avenge it on Saturday.