lNEW YORK (Nov. 13, 2024) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's basketball team surrendered an 11-point fourth-quarter lead and Baruch appeared to make a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation, but the basket was waved off, and the Mariners regrouped to secure a 74-67 overtime victory to open the 2024-25 campaign. Merchant Marine begins the season 1-0, while Baruch drops to 0-2.  The win was also the first in the head coaching career of Alexa Shields.
 
Game Link

• Box Score 

Sophomore Emily Grasseler (Millbrook, N.Y.) registered a 27-point, 20-rebound double-double, while freshman Carolae Barton (Waldorf, Md.) added a 20-point, 20-rebound effort to pace the Mariners. The 27 points were a career-high for Grasseler.
 
Senior Kaira Winston (Chesterfield, Va.) added 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. USMMA shot 42.1 percent (32-of-76) from the floor and dominated the glass with a +29 rebounding margin (65-36).
 
Mia Castillo scored a game-high 33 points and added 10 steals, seven assists and six rebounds to pace Baruch.
 
Grasseler had the first two buckets of overtime before a Winston layup at the 3:36 mark capped a 6-0 run that made it 65-59. After the Bearcats closed to within three points on a pair of free throws that made it 67-64 with 1:08 left, senior Grace Jackson (Parma, Idaho) made a layup to kickstart another 6-0 run that gave the Mariners a nine-point cushion with just 29 seconds remaining.
 
The Mariners took a 47-36 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Bearcats made their first six shots of the stanza and used a 13-3 run to pull to within one point, 50-49, with 7:16 still on the clock. Grasseler answered with a layup before back-to-back baskets by Castillo put Baruch on top for the first time in the game, 53-52, at the 6:08 mark.
 
Senior Abby Stramski (Jones, Okla.) made a jumper with 17 seconds left to give USMMA a two-point lead, but Castillo answered to the level the score at 59-59 with just 13 seconds to play. After calling a timeout to setup a potential final shot, USMMA turned the ball over in the paint and a quick outlet pass found Castillo near midcourt with just two seconds left. Castillo raced towards the basket and unleashed a running floater from the free throw line that bounced around the rim and dropped in for an apparent buzzer-beater. The referees, however, gathered and waved off the basket to send the game to overtime.
 
The Mariners return home to host #1 NYU for a 1 p.m. tipoff on Sunday, Nov. 17.
 
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