KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Feb. 11, 2025) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's basketball team clinched the Skyline Conference regular season crown and extended its winning streak to 20 games with an 83-34 victory at home against Sarah Lawrence on Tuesday night. The Mariners improved to 21-1 (18-0 Skyline), while the Gryphons fell to 5-17 (4-13 Skyline).
 
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• Box Score

Sophomore Emily Grasseler (Millbrook, N.Y.) made 9-of-14 field goals and finished with a team-high 18 points for the Mariners. Freshman Carolae Barton (Waldorf, Md.) had a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double, while senior McKenzie Cassingham (Shasta Lake, Calif.) made 4-of-6 3-pointers as part of a 16-point effort. Junior Hannah Ramsden (Port Aransas, Texas) added 12 points. USMMA shot 47.9 percent (34-of-71) from the field, including a 34.6 percent effort (9-of-26) from long range. The Mariners posted a +30 edge (48-18) on the boards, including a 19-0 margin on the offensive glass.
 
Gabby Hudson scored a game-high 20 points to lead Sarah Lawrence. The Gryphons shot 28.6 percent (12-of-42) from the floor and made just 2-of-12 3-pointers (16.7 percent), while also committing 23 turnovers.
 
Barton scored the first four points of the game before Grasseler added a bucket as the Mariners jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Sarah Lawrence followed with a 3-pointer, but a 3-pointer from senior Abby Stramski (Jones, Okla.) later jumpstarted a 7-1 run that put USMMA up, 15-6, with 3:00 remaining. After a layup from the Gryphons, Grasseler scored the final four points of the quarter to give USMMA a 19-8 lead after ten minutes.
 
Sarah Lawrence made a pair of free throws to open the second before Cassingham and Ramsden each made a 3-pointer as part of a 10-2 run that saw the Mariners extend their lead to 29-12 at the 6:26 mark. Grasseler later scored six-straight points to open a 15-2 run that was capped by a Ramsden 3-pointer that made it 44-18 with just 21 seconds left in the half.
 
The Mariners allowed just one field goal and led by as many as 40 points during a 20-4 third quarter. Barton had six points and senior Grace Jackson (Parma, Idaho) contributed five as part of an 11-0 run that opened the third and pushed the USMMA lead to 55-20. Barton later scored six-straight points and freshman Jayna McIntyre (Scranton, Pa.) buried a 3-pointer that made it 64-24 with just 1:48 left.
 
Cassingham made a pair of 3s as the Mariners opened the fourth quarter with an 8-1 run that made it 72-25 with 6:47 remaining. Cassingham later added another 3-pointer and accounted for all the points during a 7-0 run that gave the Mariners their largest lead, an 83-32 advantage with just 1:31 on the clock.
 
The Mariners travel to Newburgh, N.Y., on Saturday, Feb. 15, to face Mount Saint Mary in a 1 p.m. game.
 
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