Box Score
Postgame Interviews (Dahlke & Jackson)
 
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Feb. 5, 2022) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Mariners women's basketball team gave conference rival Manhattanville a taste of their own medicine on Saturday afternoon. A defensive master plan drawn up by head coach Matt Dempsey and associate head coach Alexa Shields bottled up the Valiants' high-powered offense for the full 40 minutes. The Mariners notched a wire-to-wire victory by taking down Manhattanville 63-46.
 
Merchant Marine split the season series with Manhattanville to improve to 17-4 overall and 13-3 in Skyline Conference play, while the Valiants dropped to 13-6 overall and 9-5 in conference play. These two clubs could very well meet again this season, with Merchant Marine currently holding the #2 seed and Manhattanville sitting in the #4 spot in the conference standings.
 
The Mariners fed off the home crowd's energy from the opening tip as freshman Grace Jackson (Parma, Idaho) singlehandedly went on a 10-0 run in two minutes and seven seconds to start the game. Merchant Marine never looked back, as their offensive production and swarming defense resulted in a full-team effort.
 
Jackson led all scorers with 26 points while junior Madison Demos (Downers Grove, Ill.) picked up yet another double-digit rebound performance with 11. Senior Julia Dahlke (San Diego, Calif.) racked up 10 points, which included a 2-for-2 day beyond the arc. Dahlke has now converted five of her last eight three-point attempts at Liebertz Gymnasium.
 
Merchant Marine's stellar offensive effort was matched with superb work on the defensive end of the floor. The Mariners' shut-down interior defense slowed down Manhattanville's 76-point-per-game offense, as the Valiants shot 32% from the field for the game. As the icing on the cake, the Mariners held the Manhattanville to a season-low 46 points in the win.
 
A 17-point victory looks good in the box score and the Mariners earned it with sensational work at the free-throw line. Merchant Marine shot at a perfect 15-for-15 clip from the charity stripe, while only allowing eight Manhattanville foul shots all game. After allowing 27 free-throws and 85 points to Coast Guard on Thursday, Coach Dempsey's defensive adjustments worked wonders against the Skyline Conference's number three scoring offense.
 
Up next for the Mariners is a two-game road trip Upstate to face off against Purchase College and current Skyline leader, the Knights of Mount Saint Mary College. Tipoff against the Panthers on Monday night, Feb. 7, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Live stats and a live video feed of the game will be available with links on the USMMA Women's Basketball Schedule Page.
 
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