The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's basketball team took a late lead in the second half, in a close battle versus St. Joseph's College, Tuesday evening, Jan. 20. But clutch free-throw shooting helped the Golden Eagles reclaim the advantage and seal the Skyline Conference victory, as they defeated the Mariners, 63-53.

The Mariners claimed their first lead of the evening when freshman Andrea Carey (Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen) converted a bucket and a foul into a three-point play, putting the Mariners up 40-39 with 10:36 on the clock. Freshman Ashley Carlisle (Oakton, Va./James Madison) sunk two consecutive trifectas, increasing the margin to 46-41 with 8:52 remaining in the contest. After two more lead changes and two more ties, the Golden Eagles' Christine Argentina buried a clutch three-pointer to put St. Joseph's ahead, 52-49, with 4:33 left on the clock. But this time, the lead was permanent, as the Golden Eagles spent the remaining moments behind the charity stripe securing the victory.

Early in the first half, the Mariners had found themselves trailing by 11 points after a 12-to-1, Golden Eagles' scoring run senior forward Rebecca Segert (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island) scored nine of her team-high 13 points in the first half, helping the Blue and Gray battle back to within one point, trailing 25-24 at the break. She also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds as the Mariners tallied a team-total 46 boards.

But St. Joseph's Kristin Mando grabbed 20 boards on the evening, while scoring 17 of her game-high 24 points in the second half, mostly from her 10-for-13 performance from the free-throw line. As a team, they out-rebounded the Mariners 62-46, in this, the first of two match-ups on the season.

Carlisle went on to score 12 points on the evening, while on the other end of the court, stole six balls and blocked two shots.

Head coach Mike Murray and the Mariners fall to an 8-7 overall record, while claiming a 3-4 record in the conference. The Golden Eagles improved to 6-5 overall, and 3-2 in Skyline competition.

The U.S.M.M.A. women's basketball squad set an Academy record on Thursday evening, Jan. 22, with nine wins - the most in a single season - after defeating the City College of New York in a nail-biting, 61-60, KP victory.

With 1:34 left in regulation, senior forward Rebecca Segert (Merritt Island, Fla.) put in a clutch lay-up, extending the Mariners lead to three points (59-56). But within the next 1:25 of play, the momentum switched sides. The Beavers made two-of-four foul shots, in addition to a vital lay-up by team-leader Juwariya Abdul-Karim, putting CCNY up by one point, 60-59, with only nine seconds remaining. Abdul-Karim had a double-double on the night, scoring 15 points while pulling down 12 boards.

In a game that saw 11 ties and nine lead changes thus far, Renee Sherman (Merritt Island, Fla.) added to both categories from the charity stripe. After being fouled with nine seconds left on the clock, the junior guard calmly knocked down two free throws - one for the tie, and one for the win - securing the record-making victory for the Blue and Gray.

As time on the clock diminished, a final desperation shot from the Beavers didn't fall, and the Mariners left the court celebrating.

The Mariners produced 14 points off 24 Beavers' turnovers, while receiving help from the bench with 15 points.

Segert led all scorers with 17 points on the evening, while teammate Ashley Carlisle (Oakton, Va.) tallied nine points and five rebounds.

The previous single-season win record was set at the conclusion of the 2000-2001 campaign, as the Mariners defeated Concordia, 76-55, tallying an 8-16 overall record.

Head coach Mike Murray's Mariners improve to 9-7 overall, while the Beavers fall to 6-8 on the season.

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy women's basketball team maintained a 14-point, halftime lead, en route to a Skyline Conference defeat over Centenary College, 60-55, Saturday afternoon, Jan. 24.

In first-half action, freshman Debra Westendorf (Medford, Ore.) broke the third and final tie of the match, when she dropped in a lay-up with 5:58 left before the break, putting the Mariners up 13-11. Senior Rebecca Segert (Merritt Island, Fla.) helped extend the Kings Point lead as she scored 16 of the next 19 Mariners' points, including a buzzer-beater just inside the three-point line, putting the Blue and Gray up 32-18 at the break.

In the second half, the Mariners increased the margin when freshman guard Ashley Carlisle (Oakton, Va.) buried a trey at the 9:54 mark, giving the Blue and Gray its biggest lead of the match (45-27).

But within the next 8:38, the Cyclones changed the momentum around, going on a 21-11 scoring run, interspersed with three three-pointers, and clawing their way back to a 53-48 Mariners lead. The Cyclones then called a timeout with 1:12 remaining.

Within the next 54 seconds, the Mariners built their lead back up to nine points, 58-49, with 26 seconds remaining.

Although the Cyclones' Solaris Ortiz had a hot hand, knocking down two more threes, and closing the gap to only three points, freshman Kaitlin Mulgrew's (Gloucester City, N.J.) sealed the victory as she put in a lay-up with three seconds remaining to give the Mariners the 60-55 lead.

Leading the way for the Mariners was forward Rebecca Segert as she scored a game-high 24 points, shooting 10-for-18 from the field, and two-for-four from behind the three-point arc. Ashley Carlisle scored 12 points on the afternoon, shooting four-for-10 from the field, while dishing out four assists.

Head coach Mike Murray and the Mariners improve their overall record to 10-7 - its best season ever - while tallying a 4-4 Skyline Conference ledger. The Cyclones drop to 3-11 on the year, while falling to 1-5 in conference competition.