EMMITSBURG, MD – Graduate
Molly Manion scored a career-high 27 points and senior Lydia Melashenko made a career-high eight 3-pointers for the second-straight game as the Merrimack women's basketball team defeated Mount St. Mary's 81-68.
Merrimack came out on with Manion topping her previous career-high of 14 points midway through the second quarter. She made 12 field goals, including two 3-pointers and dished out three assists.
"I'm really happy for (Molly)," Merrimack head coach
Kelly Morrone said. "She's a special player. Her and Melaschenko were great. They're seniors, this is a place we haven't typically played well and they took it super personally and they just kind of willed us to compete the whole way."
Melaschenko, who scored a career-high 28 points in Merrimack's last game at Saint Peter's, connected on eight 3-pointers for the second game in a row. The eight 3-pointers is one shy of the school's single-game record.
"Again senior mentality," Morrone said. "She does the work to prepare herself for these moments. That's the biggest battle and then just having the confidence to keep pulling it."
Senior Madison notched her ninth-straight double-double with 14 points and 18 rebounds.
Graduate student
Oralye Kiefer had nine points and seven rebounds and
Paloma Garcia had five points, eight rebounds and five assists.
"Mount St. Mary's defense is tough, their runs had me in knots," Morrone said. "I think we just had a balanced attack and it was our night."
Merrimack returns home to host Iona on Thursday for a late morning tip-off at 11 a.m.
