KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Nov. 23, 2024) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's basketball team put together a 21-0 run in the third quarter and cruised to a 79-44 victory at home against Old Westbury on Saturday inside a plebe-packed Liebertz Gymnasium. USMMA improved to 3-1 (2-0 Skyline), while Old Westbury dropped to 0-5 (0-2 Skyline).
 
Prior to tipoff, the Mariners celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Women at Kings Point by inviting back past alumnae to O'Hara Hall for the contest. Festivities included a photo op on the court in front of the Mariners' bench.
 
Game Links

• Box Score
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Freshman Carolae Barton 

Freshman Carolae Barton (Waldorf, Md.) made 8-of-10 field goals and finished with a 19-point, 17-rebound effort to lead the Mariners. Sophomore Emily Grasseler (Millbrook, N.Y.) added a 17-point, 10-board effort, while junior Hannah Ramsden (Port Aransas, Texas) contributed 14 points and freshman Breanna Sommers (Casa Grande, Ariz.) chipped in with 12. USMMA shot 45.2 percent (33-of-73) from the floor and dominated the glass by a +44 margin (64-20).
 
Jailah Pineda scored a game-high 21 points for Old Westbury, which shot just 30.0 percent (18-of-60) from the floor and made just 3-of-20 3-pointers (15.0 percent).
 
Ramsden had two early buckets as USMMA jumped out to a 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. The Mariners held a 15-10 advantage before Barton scored four points as part of another 6-0 spurt that made it a 21-10 ballgame with just 1:41 remaining. A Sommers 3-pointer in the closing seconds gave USMMA a 26-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Panthers opened the scoring in the second with a 3-pointer, but Grasseler scored four-straight points to pace another 6-0 run that put the Mariners up, 32-15, at the 7:46 mark. After the Panthers scored the next six points to pull to within 11, USMMA responded with an 11-1 run to close out the quarter and take a 43-22 lead into the break.
 
The Mariners led, 47-24, at the 7:36 mark before Sommers buried a 3-pointer to jumpstart the decisive 21-0 run that put USMMA up by 44 points, 68-24. Sommers and Grasseler each had five points as part of the stretch in which the Panthers went 0-of-8 from the floor. Old Westbury scored the final five points of the quarter to make it 68-29 at the end of three.
 
After the Panthers opened the fourth with a 9-2 run, senior Jalen Douglas (Waldorf, Md.) made a 3-pointer to help the Mariners respond with seven-straight points to make it 77-38 with just 4:20 left on the clock.
 
The Mariners return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 26, for a 7 p.m. game up at Skyline Conference opponent Purchase College.
 
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