Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (11/20/2014) – Swarming defense, deadly long-range shooting, and home cooking provided the Chestnut Hill College women's basketball team all the ammunition it needed to race past Mercy College for its first win of the season, a 67-49 decision in tonight's home opener. Freshman guard Nina Mazzarelli (West Chester, Pa.) and senior guard Olivia Gorczynski (Parlin, N.J.) were lethal from distance, combining to shoot 7-of-11 (.636) from the behind the three-point line for the Griffins, who led for all but 46 seconds in handing the Mavericks their first setback of the season in the non-conference contest.
 
Mazzarelli, who finished 4-of-6 (66.7%) from downtown, was the spark Chestnut Hill College (1-3) needed to jump into the win column. The rookie scored 12 of the Griffins first 16 points, guiding the hosts to an early 16-7 advantage (13:36) en route to finishing with a game-high 17, her third consecutive double-digit output. The Griffins outpaced Mercy College (3-1) by as many as 12, 27-15, in the first half after a layup by freshman forward Nicole Parriski (Burlington, N.J.) with 7:19 remaining. The Mavericks scored the next 10 points to close to within 27-25 (3:57), but the Griffins held the visitors scoreless for the remainder of the half, heading into intermission with a 33-25 lead after closing the period on a 6-0 run.
 
Refusing to let the Mavericks off the mat, Chestnut Hill College came out firing after the break, starting the second half on a 9-2 run punctuated by a layup by freshman guard Bianca Adams (Elkins Park, Pa.) that made it 42-27 (16:28). Mercy College made a small surge, slicing the deficit to 50-41 with 8:55 to play. But, senior guard Shayla Felder (Cheltenham, Pa.) responded with a jumper, 52-41, and the lead never dipped below double digits the rest of the way. The advantage grew as large as 23, 67-44, before the Griffins settled on a 67-48 final margin.
 
Senior center Brandone Roberts (Jessup, Md.) produced a double-double, 15 points and 12 rebounds, to lead the Mavericks. Junior guard Tatiana Parish (Los Angeles, Calif.) finished with 10 points and five rebounds, while junior forward Deasia Goodson (Freeport, N.Y.) collected eight points and nine boards.
 
In addition to Mazzarelli (5-of-12 FG, 3-of-4 FT), Gorczynski and Felder also reached double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Felder grabbed five rebounds, handed out three assists, and snagged three of the Griffins 10 steals, part of a strong defensive effort that resulted in 19 Maverick turnovers, which Chestnut Hill College turned into 22 points on the other end. Gorczynski was 3-of-5 (60%) on three-pointers and added three rebounds and two assists. Chestnut Hill College held the visitors to just 30% shooting (21-of-70) from the field, including a 9.1% output (2-of-22) from beyond the arc. Parriski turned in a well-rounded game with eight points, six rebounds, and four assists for Chestnut Hill College, while fellow freshman forward Brianne Morgera (Newport, R.I.) offered six points to go along with a season-high nine rebounds and all three of the Griffins blocks.
 
Chestnut Hill College hits the road again for a date with Kutztown University on Monday, November 24. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m.