Warwick, RI - For the first time since December 14, 2019, that Mustangs were able to head to CCRI and come away with a win. Stifling defense in the first half led to a 36-16 lead going into the break. Knowing the Knights were too talented and too well coached to just fold, the Mustangs withstood several CCRI scoring surges. CM pulled out the 67-58 win, holding the Knights to their season low in points.
Leading the way for CM was first-year standout, Jolien Defoort. She logged a career-high 33 minutes and scored a team-high 17 points. Defoort also recorded 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Fellow first-year standout, Ella Lavigne, recorded her 4th straight double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 steals. First-year point guard, Rosa Prieto, displayed consistent energy throughout the game and finished with 12 points, 6 assists, and 6 steals. Chantel Ouellette had some clutch plays in the second half and finished with 9 points. Ouellette took two first have offensive fouls, moving her season total to 13 (single season program record = 17).
Stephanie Walker led the Knights with 20 points while Angelisse Melendez hit for 16.
After the game, Head Women's Basketball Coach, Andrew Morong, commented, "Well the second half was not pretty, but we hung tough and responded to every single one of their scoring runs. It was a hostile environment, with a very loud crowd. This was the first time we played in such an environment, and it was a great learning lesson for us. I was very proud of how we played in the first half - arguably our best defense to date. After some coaching errors in the third quarter, we all settled down and dug in during the fourth. Jolien really carried us at times, and if we can get this consistent effort out of Rosa, we will be very, very tough to beat. Chantel continues to play smart, tough basketball. She is a great role model for our younger players."
With the win the Mustangs improve to 10-1 overall, while the Knights fall to 5-2. CM will be back in action on Wednesday, December 13th (6:00pm) when they host Southern Maine Community College in the final game of the first semester.
