MANSFIELD – Junior Kira Merritt scored a layup with 41 seconds remaining to cut the Mansfield University women's basketball team's deficit to two, but that is as close as the Mounties would get as Roberts Wesleyan College held on to the slim advantage to sneak away with a 67-62 non-conference victory on Wednesday, Dec. 4 inside Decker Gymnasium.
Merritt contributed 13 points including five-straight late in the fourth quarter to keep the Mansfield (2-5 overall) comeback hopes alive. Mansfield leading scorer junior Paige Whitfield scored a team-high 19 points and dished out three assists. Freshmen-duo Jasmine Perez and Jasmine Hilton continued their hot start, as Perez was 83.3 percent from the field with 13 points while hauling in seven rebounds and Hilton netted ten points with six rebounds.
With 4:47 remaining in regulation, a Perez 3-pointer cut the Mountie deficit to six. Junior Chelsea Cover snatched one of her six rebounds out of the air and went coast-to-coast finding Whitfield, who drilled a three to make it 56-53 with 4:20 to go. Roberts Wesleyan (4-3 overall) responded moments later with a lay-up, but Whitfield found herself open again in the corner for another three, cutting the deficit to 58-56 with 1:45 remaining. Five straight points from Merritt kept the Mounties in striking distance, however the Redhawks were 4-of-4 at the charity stripe to close out the game.
It took nearly three minutes but Mansfield was first on the scoreboard courtesy of a Perez layup. Roberts Wesleyan quickly responded with two runs of their own and closed out the first period leading 18-14.
The Mounties outscored the Redhawks, 20-14 in the second quarter and used a 17-7 run to take their first lead since the opening minutes to head into the break clinging onto a 34-32 advantage.
The Mountaineers knocked down 23 field goals to the Redhawks 21, but free-throws proved the difference as Roberts Wesleyan connected on 21-of-25 compared to Mansfield's 5-of-9.
Taryn Wilson led the Redhawks with a double-double (13 points and 13 rebounds).
The women's basketball team is back in action this Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1:30 when they host the first part of a doubleheader to Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The game will serve as a Military Appreciation game for the Mansfield Community. Socks will be sold at the door with proceeds benefiting the Military Scholarship. All military personnel and veterans in attendance will receive a complementary ticket along with complementary snacks.
