CINCINNATI, OHIO – The Mount St. Joseph University women's basketball team fell to Muskingum University, 62-53, at the Harrington Center on Sunday afternoon in its season opener.
Muskingum scored the first 10 points of the game, taking an early 10-0 lead. The Mount responded by outscoring the Fighting Muskies 10-7 to trail 17-10 after the first quarter. Katelyn Reilly and Ali Winchester both knocked down three-pointers to cut into Muskingum's lead.
The second quarter belonged to the Lions, as the Mount outscored the Fighting Muskies 15-6. Bella Crawford hit a pair of free throws to give the Lions their first lead of the game at 22-21 with 5:35 remaining in the half. Aly Powers knocked down two three-pointers and added another basket, while Sam Price contributed a layup and three free throws. The Mount headed into halftime with a 25-23 lead.
Early in the third quarter, the Lions extended their lead to eight points behind free throws from Ali Winchester, a layup from Sam Price, and a three-pointer from Aly Powers, making it 32-24. Muskingum responded with a 14-0 run to take a six-point lead with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Price scored five of the Mount's seven points in the quarter as the Lions entered the fourth quarter trailing 40-39.
In the fourth quarter, the Fighting Muskies took a six-point lead just three minutes into the period. Aly Powers and Ali Winchester each scored layups, while Bella Crawford added a free throw to cut Muskingum's lead to two at 50-48 with five minutes remaining. However, the Fighting Muskies closed the game with a scoring run as the Mount fell 62-53.
The Lions were led by Sam Price, who scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds while shooting 10-for-13 from the free-throw line. Freshman Aly Powers made an impact in her first game in a Mount uniform, finishing with 15 points and seven rebounds. Ali Winchester added nine points and three steals.
UP NEXT: The Lions will travel to Steubenville, Ohio, on Saturday, November 14, to take on Franciscan University. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
