SALEM, W. Va. – A well-balanced team effort came up just short for the Mansfield University women's basketball team on Wednesday evening in Salem.  Erin Gibbons, Mia Leonard, and Noelle Cameron all reached double digits in scoring, but the Mounties fell 85-77 to the Tigers at Mike Carey Court.
 
The Mounties outscored Salem 46-40 in the second half, but the Tigers were able to hold the lead which they had gained from their first basket for the entire game.  
 
In the first quarter, Sydney Reed hit a shot-clock beating jumpshot from the short corner to bring MU within a point. Salem and Mansfield then traded baskets on consecutive trips up the court heading into the media timeout. After a run for the Tigers out of the break, Kira Merritt sunk a 3-pointer make it 15-12.  Reeva Jackson and Nia Bishop led Salem on another run, swinging the momentum back in Salem's favor heading into the second quarter.
 
Alyssa DeNofa hit a layup in the second quarter to bring Mansfield within four. That would be as close as the Mounties got until halfway through the third quarter. Salem went on a 13-2 run, and it seemed as though the Tigers would go into the intermission leading Mansfield by 16 points.  That was when Paige Whitfield raced up the middle of the court, split two defenders at the top of the arc. The sophomore collected the ball, and pulled up to drill a trifecta and make it 45-32, giving Mansfield hope out of halftime.
 
Leonard, Gibbons, and Cameron combined to score 53 points in the contest, 35 of which came in the second half.  In a four minute stretch during the third quarter, Gibbons and Reed hit four consecutive treys.  The Mounties strung together a 15-7 run to pull within two points. 
 
In the fourth quarter, the teams went back-and-forth, but Salem was able to use the clock to their advantage and held on to their lead through the final horn.
 
Gibbons led all players with 21 points and five assists. The last time the sophomore surpassed the 20-point mark was in the first game of the season when she had 22 points against Roberts Wesleyan. With an additional four rebounds and three steals on the night, the Forty Fort, Pa. native has put together an impressive two-game stretch.

Noelle Cameron has also seen solid consistency this past week. The sophomore fouled out on Wednesday evening, but not before she was able to come up with four steals and record her first double-double of the season. With 14 points and 10 rebounds, Cameron also notched her fourth-straight game of five or more rebounds plus eight or more points. She, Gibbons, and Leonard, who finished Wednesday with 16 points and six rebounds, have combined for 95 points in the last two games.
 
Freshman Ellie Thompson scored eight points to go with seven rebounds, and Merrit's three points were supplemented by six rebounds.  
 
With five points on the night, Sydney Reed recorded a career-high eight rebounds while also dishing out three assists.
 
Mansfield returns home this weekend for Senior Night against Shippensburg. The Saturday afternoon game begins at 1 p.m.