USMMA Hits Road To Sweep Moravian
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Kristen Hetsko scored 22 points and drained six-three pointers to help lead the United States Merchant Marine Academy to a 69-65 victory over Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa. on Saturday night. Trailing by two points with under two minutes to go in the game, Morgan Gartner hit a layup and a jumper and Kiersten Healy converted a free throw to put the Mariners ahead for good in a game which featured 10 lead changes and four ties.
USMMA improved to 13-8 overall, 5-5 in Landmark Conference action. Moravian dropped to 13-8 overall, 6-4 in Landmark Conference play. Two of the Greyhounds' four losses in the league have come to the Mariners.
In addition to Hetsko's 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting overall and 6-of-11 shooting from behind the arc, Stephanie Waller contributed 11 points, four rebounds and matched a season high with three steals. Hannah Eko matched two season-best marks (nine points and three blocks) and also finished with six rebounds. Healy added eight points, a team-high seven rebounds and also matched a career mark with three assists. Gartner added eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and four rebounds.
Moravian had three double-digit scorers and was led by Amanda Brown's 16 points off the bench. She also drained four three-pointers. Jessica Foran and Alyssa Bisci added 14 points apiece and Foran hit four of her five three-point field goal attempts. Kiersty Stearns narrowly missed a double-double and ended the game with eight points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
The first half featured seven ties and three lead changes. Six of those lead changes came in the opening eight minutes of play. Moravian scored the first five points of the game, but the Mariners responded with six straight points of their own to take a 6-5 lead at 16:27. USMMA got layups from Gartner and Janay Weathers as well as a jumper from Waller.
Moravian's Bisci hit a jumper to take back the lead, but Gartner found Healy for a layup and the Mariners took the lead back at 8-7. Moravian regained the advantage at 9-8 on two free throws from Kate Harrison, but Waller nailed a three-pointer to make it 11-9 in favor of USMMA with 14:22 left.
The Greyhounds responded with a 7-0 run to take a 16-11 lead, but the Mariners scored eight straight points of their own to make it 19-16 in their favor with 8:27 on the clock. USMMA never trailed the rest of the half and capped things off with a three-pointer courtesy of Hetsko to take a 32-28 lead at the break.
The Mariners came screaming out of the gates in the second half and scored the opening seven points to take an 11-point lead at 39-28 with 18:01 to play in the game. Gartner and Weathers each hit a jumper and Hetsko drained another shot from behind the arc. However, Moravian scored 10 straight points to cut the Mariner lead to one, 39-38, at 15:40.
USMMA held onto a narrow lead for almost the next 10 minutes until Bisci hit a jumper to give Moravian a 53-52 advantage with 6:02 left to play. The Greyhounds' lead would not last long as Eko hit a layup to put the Mariners up again, 54-53.
With the Mariners leading 61-60, Foran drained a three-pointer with 1:59 on the clock to put the Greyhounds ahead, 63-61. However, the Mariners once again had an answer as Gartner scored four straight points to give her club a 65-63 advantage with 55 seconds left on the clock. With the score tied at 63-63, Brooke Picillo had a key steal with 1:22 left and then set up Gartner's jumper to give the Mariners the lead and force the Greyhounds to call a timeout with 46 seconds left.
Trying to tie the game, Stearns missed a jump shot with 36 seconds left and Waller got the rebound. Healy was fouled on the ensuing possession and made one of two free throws to give USMMA a 66-63 lead with 26 seconds on the clock.
Just like the last match between the two teams, Amanda Brown got a chance to be the difference maker with the shot clock turned off. She missed a three-point field goal attempt which would've tied the game with 13 seconds left and the Mariners got the ball back.
Following a timeout taken by the Mariners with 12 ticks on the clock, Hetsko was fouled and made both of her free throws to give USMMA a 68-63 lead. On the Greyhounds' next possession, Stearns got the ball and was fouled and converted both of her free throws to make it a one possession game again, 68-65, with four seconds left.
Eko was fouled and made a free throw to ice the game. The Mariners escaped with a 69-65 victory.
With the victory, the Mariners end the evening tied for fourth place in the conference with Susquehanna. Both clubs have identical 5-5 records. USMMA is also just one game out of second place, which is occupied by Moravian and Juniata. Each of these squads stand 6-4 in conference play.
The women's basketball team will look to knock off first-place Scranton tomorrow afternoon and also put an end to the Lady Royals' nine-game winning streak. Game time is 2 p.m.