Pearcey led the charge as Mystics best Mounties 66-55
Amanda Pearcey finished with a game-high 28 as Mystics defeat Mounties by 11.
(Halifax, NS) The Mount Saint Vincent Mystics defeated the visiting Mount Allison Mounties 66-55 at the A. Garnet Brown Memorial Gymnasium in a battle of the top two teams in the ACAA conference Saturday evening.
Amanda Pearcey (Torbay, NL) finished with 28 points, as she hit 6-10 from range. She also chipped in three rebounds and three assists. Marley Curwin (Halifax, NS) filled the stat sheet for the Mystics, as she added 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Coming off the bench, Emma Empringham (Sackville, NS) had nine points, eight rebounds - six of her rebounds came off the offensive glass. She also added two blocks to round the Mystics' performance tonight.
Emma Roberts (Bible Hill, NS) led the Mounties in defeat, as she finished with 11 points, with an efficient 5/7 from the field, three rebounds, and two assists. Amelia Mitchell (Rothesay, NB) supported the Mounties' attack as she chipped in 11 points, and four rebounds. Kate Fillmore (Moncton, NB) added 10 points, four rebounds, and 3 assists for the Mounties.
In a battle of two top teams in the ACAA, they would exchange made baskets early in the quarter. Katie Feasby (Calgary, AB) would give the Mounties an early 8-6 lead as she hit a three-pointer. The Mystics would respond as Pearcey hit two straight threes to give the Mystics a 14-10 lead. As the quarter would ensue the Mounties would tie the game up at 14 with a transition lay-up from Roberts. A few possessions later, the Mounties would take the lead as Feasby would strip the Mystics in the frontcourt and coasted for the uncontested lay-up. In the last minute of the quarter, the Mystics would take back the lead, as Emma Garagan (Halifax, NS) would grab the offensive rebound and hit the midrange jumper and a buzzer beating lay-up from Jenna Matheson (Halifax, NS) to give the Mystics a 19-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.
As play resumed, the Mystics would find Victoria Strickland (St. John's, NL) for a transition three, assisted by Pearcey. The Mounties would respond with consecutive plays from Mitchell as she made a lay-up in the halfcourt, followed by a transition lay-up to give the Mounties a 24-22 lead. With the game tied up at 24, the Mystics pushed the ball up court with a string of crisp passes, which led to an Empringham transition lay-up. The Mounties would respond to the Mystics run with a three from Nora Miller (Kemptville, NS) to cut the lead to 33-31. In the closing minutes of the quarter, the Mystics would shift the momentum, as Garagan would drive for a lay-up, followed by a steal and contested lay-up from Matheson to give the Mystics a 37-31 lead, which they held going into the half.
The Mystics looked to Pearcey throughout the third as she finished the quarter with 15 points, capped off by 3 three-point shots and various midrange jumpers. The Mounties looked to Mitchell as she drove to the basket midway through the quarter for an and-1 finish to close the Mystics lead to 9. The Mystics also looked to their bench in the quarter as Empringham was a spark for them as she crashed the offensive glass, jumped in passing lanes and made hustle plays that allowed the Mystics to maintain their lead. As the quarter closed, she stole the ball from the Mounties and had a clutch lay-up as time winded down. The lay-up gave the Mystics a 57-43 lead.
The Mounties looked to close the gap in the final quarter, as they would have consecutive lay-ups from Mitchell and Sadie Bowen (Antigonish County, NS). The Mystics would respond with a diving lay-up from Garagan, that was assisted by Ashleigh Marshall (Fall River, NS). As the quarter moved on, the defensive pressure amplified, which should be expected when two of the top defensive teams in the conference are playing. As scoring was a premium in the fourth, the Mounties would connect on a corner three from Feasby to cut the Mystics lead to eight. The Mystics' defensive pressure would ramp up, halting the Mounties for the remainder of the game, as they would win the game 66-55.
The Mystics jumped to 10-3. They will travel to Moncton next Saturday, February 1st to face off with the Crandall Chargers. Tip-off is at 2:00pm. The Mounties fall to 9-3. They will travel to Charlottetown next Saturday, February 1st to face off with the Holland Hurricanes. Tip-off is 2:00pm.