Owings Mills, Md. (February 4) – The Stevenson women's basketball team controlled the tempo down the stretch and turned a tight contest into a decisive MAC Commonwealth victory Wednesday night, using a dominant second half to pull away from Hood for a 53–39 win inside Owings Mills Gymnasium
Hood struck first with a second-chance basket, but Stevenson quickly settled in defensively.
Anaya Price knocked down an early three to get the Mustangs on the board, and late in the quarter
Elia Richardson buried a triple from the wing before
Aliyah Jean-Jacques finished a layup in the paint to give Stevenson an 8–7 edge after the opening 10 minutes.
The second quarter featured back-and-forth action as both teams traded small runs.
Kalea Wynter powered in a putback to tie the game, and Richardson connected again from deep to briefly give the Mustangs the lead. Hood answered late at the line, sending the teams into halftime even at 18–18, setting up a pivotal third quarter.
Stevenson opened the second half with renewed energy. Price attacked the lane for a jumper, and
Destiny Towns converted a pair of free throws to push the Mustangs in front. Jean-Jacques then provided a spark, scoring twice inside and capitalizing on turnovers to fuel a 7–0 burst. Moments later, Price drilled another three from the top of the key, stretching the advantage to seven and sending Stevenson into the fourth quarter ahead 33–28.
In the final period, the Mustangs seized full control. Wynter scored on a second-chance jumper to start the frame, and
Nadia Ferguson followed with a three-pointer in transition to make it a two-possession game. After forcing another turnover,
Mina Hashemzadeh converted a layup inside, and Price calmly knocked down three straight free throws to cap a 12–3 run that ballooned the lead into double digits.
From there, Stevenson's defense did the rest. The Mustangs limited Hood to just 11 fourth-quarter points while dominating the glass and generating extra opportunities, finishing with a 42–31 rebounding edge and 17 second-chance points. The home side closed the game strong to secure the 14-point conference win.
Stevenson will look to carry the momentum forward as the Mustangs hit the road to face Eastern on Saturday, February 7 at 1:00 p.m.
