JOHNSON, Vt. – Maine Maritime Academy women's basketball defeated Johnson State College 73-45 in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) contest on Saturday afternoon inside of Carter Gym.

The Mariners improve to 9-6 on the season and 5-4 in conference play, while the Badgers drop to 2-13 overall and 1-9 in the NAC. Maine Maritime returns to action on Tuesday, January 23 when they travel to take on Thomas College at 5:30 pm. 

The Mariners jumped out to an early lead, taking an 11-3 lead five minutes in and scored eight-unanswered points to take a 19-5 lead after one.

The Badgers went on a 7-4 run to start the second quarter, but the Mariners scored six-straight to take a 29-12 advantage. The teams traded baskets throughout the rest of the quarter but the Mariners took a 35-19 lead into halftime.

The Mariners dominated the third quarter, outscoring Johnson 21-8 to pull their lead to 56-27 going into the final quarter.

Johnson outscored Maine Maritime by a slim 18-17 margin in the fourth quarter, but the Mariners took the 73-45 victory.

Alayne Felix (Mahopac, N.Y.) led the Mariners with 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Melinda Ogden (Searsport, Maine) chipped in with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Mikayla Charters (Newport, Maine) tallied a game-high seven assists. 

Jocelyn Pellerin led the Badgers with 11 points, two assists and a steal. 

The Mariners shot an impressive 47.5 percent from the floor, while the Badgers shot 37.5 percent. The Mariners held a considerable 46-19 edge in rebounds.