ALLIANCE, OHIO – Junior All-Ohio Athletic conference guard Jessica Lairson (Louisville) scored 24 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds but the Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team fell to No.2-ranked (D3hoops.com national poll) University of Mount Union, 82-79, in an OAC game in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex (The MAAC).
With the loss, BW fell to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in the OAC. With the victory, the Purple Raiders improved to 9-0 overall, 4-0 in the OAC and won its 21st straight OAC game dating back to last season.
In addition to Lairson for the Yellow Jackets, senior two-time All-OAC forward Jessica Carpenter (North Canton/Hoover) scored 12 points and senior forward Nancy Coulter (Washington Court House/Miami Trace) scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Mount Union was led by senior guard Rosa LaMattina with a game-high 38 points and grabbed eight rebounds while junior guard Amanda Turner added 11 points.
BW jumped out to an early 4-0 lead on baskets by sophomore guard Audrey Smolik (Strongsville) and Lairson. The Purple Raiders would quickly respond to take a 5-4 lead on a layup by sophomore center Aly Daniel and a three-pointer from LaMattina at the 18:22 mark.
After the teams would exchange baskets, Smolik converted a three-point play to give the Yellow Jackets a 9-7 lead at the 16:48 mark. Mount Union quickly responded as it would go on an 12-2 run to take a 21-11 lead at the 12:31 mark.
BW would answer with a flurry of layups on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 21-21 with 8:35 remaining. Junior center Natalia Simovic (Seven Hills/Normandy) would spark the run with four points. The Purple Raiders would answer with a 10-2 run to push their lead to 31-23 on a three-pointer by senior guard Maggie Miller at the 5:12 mark.
The Yellow Jackets would cut the lead to three-points at 31-28 on a trey from senior guard Megan Frisina (Corry, Pa./Corry Area) with 4:30 left to play. Mount Union would outscore BW 13-4 over the remainder of the half to lead 44-32 at the intermission.
The Yellow Jackets would open the second half scoring when Lairson scored on a layup to cut the lead down to 44-34 just 22 second into the second half.
Mount Union would increase its lead to as many as 15 points at 55-40 on a three-pointer from LaMattina at the 15:48 mark. BW would cut the lead down to nine points at 64-55 on a three-pointer by Carpenter with 10:04 remaining.
Over the next nine minutes, the Yellow Jackets would outscore the Purple Raiders 16-9 to cut the lead down to two points at 73-71 on a pair of free throws from Carpenter with one minute left in regulation.
Mount Union would respond with a three-point by Turner to extend the lead to 76-71 with 39 seconds remaining. BW would cut the lead back to two points at 76-74 when Lairson would convert the traditional three-point play at 26 seconds.
After four free throws by LaMattina, the Yellow Jackets would cut the lead to just one point at 80-79 when senior point guard Rachel Rossman (Olmsted Falls) would bury a deep three-pointer to with four seconds left in regulation.
LaMattina would close out the scoring with a pair of free throws as BW's three-pointer rimmed in and out as time expired giving Mount Union the 82-79 victory.
BW is back in action on Saturday, Dec. 22 when it hosts OAC rival Otterbein University in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center at 3:00 p.m.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bwyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
