Nov. 29, 2005
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Final Stats
EMMITSBURG, Md. - The Navy women's basketball team sliced a 16-point second half deficit down to just three points, but could climb no closer in an 80-72 loss to Mount St. Mary's Tuesday night in Emmitsburg, Md.
"Our bench really gave us a spark in the second half," said Navy head coach Tom Marryott. "Ali Currier (So., Columbia, S.C.) and Lindi Conner (So., Kingman, Kan.) both gave us some great hustle plays when we needed it.
"We did not match Mount St. Mary's intensity early on, and as a result we spent the next 30 minutes playing catch up."
The Mountaineers (1-2) jumped out to a 13-4 lead at the start of the game and eventually led by as many as 17 points with at 37-20 with 4:19 to play before halftime. Navy would close the margin to 12 points at 42-30 at intermission, thanks to 14 points and nine rebounds from Carly Meyer (Jr., Orlando, Fla.).
Mount St. Mary's pushed its lead back to 16 points less than three minutes into the second half and held a 51-36 advantage with 16:42 to play.
Navy (3-2) finally cut the deficit down to single digits at 53-45 after a jumper from Betsy Burnett (Jr., New Holstein, Wis.), then cut it to six points at 55-49 on a field goal from Meyer with 11:21 to play.
Mount St. Mary's went on a quick 5-0 run and took the lead back to double digits at 60-49, but a Currier field goal a few minutes later cut the margin down to five points at 60-55.
The difference was still nine points at 70-61 when Navy scored seven of the next eight points to cut the deficit down to three points at 71-68 on a pair of free throws from Burnett.
After a Mountaineer turnover gave Navy the ball and a chance to tie or make it a one-point game, the Mids turned it over themselves when Brianna Gauthier picked off a Burnett pass and went the distance to give Mount St. Mary's a 73-68 lead with 2:08 left to play.
Burnett atoned for her turnover by sinking a field goal on Navy's next possession to make it a three-point game again, but an offensive rebound and put back by Dita Krumberga on the next Mount St. Mary's possession made it a five-point lead with 1:23 to play.
After Navy maintained possession on a ball knocked out of bounds after a Meyer miss, Conner scored on an inside shot with 1:07 to play to again make it a three-point game at 75-72.
Navy's defense forced LaToya Butler's shot to miss on the next Mountaineer possession, but Lauren Klement grabbed the carom and scored a field goal to make it a five-point game with 48 seconds to play.
Navy turned the ball over on its next possession and the Mountaineers made three of their four attempts from the foul line to seal the game.
Navy shot 55.2-percent from the field in the second half and 47.5-percent for the game, while the Mountaineers shot 45.3-percent for the game.
Meyer tallied her second double-double of the season with 24 points and 12 rebounds, with Burnett posting a career-high in points for the second-straight game with 16. Conner also added a career high with 12 points, as did Currier with eight points.
Navy will be back in action Friday with a 5 p.m. game at Providence.
