LYNDONVILLE, Vermont – Maine Maritime women's basketball beat NVU-Lyndon 78-71 Saturday afternoon in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) matchup.

How it Happened: After a couple minutes of trading baskets, the Mariners went on a 12-2 run, sparked by Makenzie Monzon (Orlando, Fla.) who attacked downhill to get two foul shots to take a 15-8 point lead. The Hornets answered with a run of their own, tying the game at 19-19 going into the second quarter. The Hornets scored eight straight points to start the quarter, making the score 27-19. The Mariners continued to decrease the Hornets lead but never got within four points, until Lauren Plissey (Hermon, Maine) hit a buzzer beater off a pass from Kirsten Grindel (Brandon, Fla.) to end the half, making the score 38-41 in favor of the Hornets.

Lyndon came out on a 13-4 run to start the second half, extending their lead to 12 points. Sydney Briscoe (Englewood, N.J.) hit a jumper to spark an answer from the Mariners, going on an eight point run of their own. The Hornets continued to hold their advantage though, leading 65-52 going into the fourth quarter. Maine Maritime took off in the fourth quarter, going on a 16-2 run to take the lead with a score of 70-67 with 3:30 left in the game. This forced the Hornets to foul down the stretch, but the Mariners stayed composed on both ends of the floor, only allowing the Hornets to score six points, claiming a 78-71 victory.

Inside the Numbers: Plissey led the Mariners with a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, along with four assists, four blocks, and one steal. Lauren Cook (Charlotte, Maine) also had 20 points, one assist, and one steal. Maria Barela (Albuquerque, N.M.) added 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one block, while Briscoe came off the bench recording a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, along with two blocks, and a steal.

Lea Crompton led all scorers with 22 points, six assists, and two rebounds. Sage Smith added 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

The Mariners shot 45.3% from the floor and 25% from three point land, while the Hornets shot 46.7% from the hardwood and 40% from beyond the arc.

Up Next: The Mariners improve to 16-2 overall and 10-0 in conference, the Hornets fall to 6-6 overall and 1-4 in conference. The Mariners return to action on Wednesday, February 2 at 7:30pm when they travel to Bangor to face Husson University.