Mustangs Prevail in GNAC Women's Basketball Opener

NEWTON, MA- Jeileen Rivera (Springfield, MA), Abigail Fedigan (New Fairfield, CT), and Jenny Davis (Bristol, England) scored 12 points each to lead the Mount Ida College women's basketball team to a 65-45 victory over Lasell College in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener on Saturday afternoon.

Mount Ida improves their overall record to 4-8 with a 1-0 conference slate while the Lasers remain on a four game skid to fall to 1-10 overall, and 0-1 in the league. 

Rivera shot 5-for-8 from the field and Davis notched three from downtown to set up their game-high showings.  In addition, Katie Morvan (Northbridge, MA) locked in 10 points for the Mustangs along with five rebounds and Shannon Wood (Gorham, ME) distributed six assists to contribute to the conference victory. 

Freshman guard Kayla Vincelette (Westport, MA) led for the Lasers once again with 11 points and senior guard Katie Farr (Rindge, NH) followed suit with 10 points and two assists.  Laser forwards Kim Archibald (Lewiston, ME) and JoAnna Bishop (S. Burlington, VT) put up nine and eight points respectively while also grabbing six caroms apiece.  

Mount Ida put away the first basket of the game off the opening tip with a Fedigan jumper on the elbow.  Bishop tied the score on the next possession cutting through the key for a back door layup. A three-point field goal by Davis shortly after set in motion a 13-0 run for the Mustangs over a three-minute span.  Farr ultimately broke up the Lasers' scoreless stretch with a basket from the top of the key at 14:52.  

The Mustangs lead fluctuated between 11-14 points for the following seven minutes as the teams traded buckets.  At the six minute mark, Alicia Ward (North Reading, MA) gave the visitors their biggest advantage of the half when Wood hit her on the wing to bring the score to 28-11.  

With 2:25 left to play in the first half, Archibald popped out to the arc and drained a three, cutting the Mustangs lead to 11 once more, at 30-19. After trading baskets for the remaining two minutes, the first half closed with the Mustangs ahead 35-21. 

Mount Ida committed just four turnovers in the first half, playing disciplined to keep the Lasers at bay.  Lasell shot 40.9% from the field in the half while Mount Ida capitalized on 37.8% of their attempts.  The visitors also held a slight 20-19 edge in rebounds. 

Vincelette completed a three-point play on a coast-to-coast layup to start the second half and an Archibald post play cut margin to nine, 35-26, at 17:28.  Rivera and Davis teamed up to answer the Lasers' quick run with five points of their own, returning the gap to 14 by 16:39.  Two minutes later the Mustangs would take the largest lead of the contest to that point, 46-26, on a Rivera elbow jumper. The Mustangs maintained a comfortable lead through the final buzzer. 

Lasell travels to 2010 GNAC Champion and preseason favorite Emmanuel College on Tuesday, January 11th for a 7:30 tip-off with the Saints.  Mount Ida will host Albertus Magnus College on Thursday, January 13th at 7:00 p.m. in their next GNAC matchup.