WASHINGTON, D.C. – The TCNJ women's basketball team nearly climbed out of a 17-point second-half hole in Monday's game against Marymount (Va.), but a furious rally fell just short as the Lions suffered a 66-58 setback in their first game at Catholic's Jamie L. Roberts Fairfield Inn D.C. Holiday Classic.
TCNJ (6-5) trailed 43-26 at the midway point of the third quarter but got as close as four inside of three minutes remaining before the Saints managed to hold off the blue and gold's late charge.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Lions were up by as many as six points in the first quarter, grabbing a 14-8 advantage on two free throws by Isabella Cafaro, but Marymount (9-3) closed the period on a 5-0 run to get within one
- The Saints went ahead for good on a 3-pointer by Ella Morrison and, after a free throw from Kaitlyn Deiter, rattled off 10 in a row to take a 28-17 lead with 4:17 to play in the second quarter
- The Lions closed to within six (32-26) on a put-back by Nina Branchizio early in the third, but Marymount seized control from there with an 11-0 burst that swelled their lead to 17 with 4:53 left in the third
- Grace Kowalski stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer, then led off a sequence of three 3-pointers in the final 2:22 of the frame as Katie Fricker and Julia Setaro also knocked down treys to trim the deficit to 49-40
- Trailing 57-47 with just under seven minutes to go, Izzy Leazier's 3-pointer preceded another by Arianna McCleod, and a three-point play by Kowalski made it 61-57 with 3:12 left
- TCNJ had two chances to cut further into the deficit but were unable to cash in, and the Saints hit a jumper with 1:57 to go to restore a six-point cushion (63-57)
- Branchizio split a pair at the line to make it 63-58 with 47 seconds left, but TCNJ did not score again
FOR THE FOES
- Chandler Ettleton was dominant, notching a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds
- Symantha Shackelford chipped in 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting
- Marymount shot 53.2 percent from the field (25-of-47), including 62.5 percent in the second half (15-for-24)
- The Saints held a 38-12 advantage in paint points
STANDOUT LIONS
- Kowalski paced the pride with 13 points alongside three rebounds, three steals, and two assists
- Branchizio, Leazier, and McCleod each scored seven points, while Fricker and Setaro tallied six apiece
- Myah Hourigan-Hutton led TCNJ with six rebounds
- TCNJ shot just 32.1 percent for the day (18-of-56) and were 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) from 3-point range
- The Lions only committed nine turnovers while forcing 15 on the other end
NOTES
- The tournament is a homecoming of sorts for Setaro, who played her freshman year at Catholic before transferring to TCNJ
- Setaro's six points gave her 1,052 for her career, passing Kelsey Kutch '12 for 15th on the all-time list
- Monday's meeting was the first between the teams since 2005
UP NEXT
- TCNJ wraps up the tournament against Eastern at 1 p.m.
