NEWTON, Mass. - Junior guard Jamie Zoldy (Watertown, Conn.) scored a game-high 15 points and junior forward Ashley McAdams (Freeport, N.Y.) posted a double-double to lead the Simmons College women's basketball team in a 61-55 loss to host Mount Ida College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest this afternoon at the MIC Athletic Center in Newton, Mass. The Sharks fall to 7-9 overall and 1-4 in GNAC play, while the Mustangs improve to 4-14 and 2-4. 

Zoldy was 6-12 from the floor and grabbed two rebounds to go with an assist and a steal off the bench for Simmons, while McAdams netted 13 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to record her third double-double of the season. She also added two assists and a pair of steals. Junior forward Liz Brasa (East Hartford, Conn.) contributed with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

Sophomore guard Trish Liotta (Hampton Bays, N.Y.) paved the way for Mount Ida with 15 points, four rebounds and a steal, while junior center Angie Martinez (Taunton, Mass) recorded her 10th double-double of the season, racking up 11 boards and 10 points to go with five assists and a steal.

The teams played within four points of each other in the first quarter with Mount Ida holding the lead for the entire period with the exception of two ties. The Mustangs owned a 15-14 edge at the end of one quarter, but McAdams converted lay-up just 18 seconds into the second period to give the Sharks their first and only lead of the day at 16-15.

Mount Ida scored the next seven points as part of a 15-2 run, led by five points from Liotta, to take a 30-18 advantage with 3:24 to go in the period. The Mustangs later maintained a 33-22 lead with 1:26 showing on the second quarter clock, before Simmons made four free throws to close out the period and pull to within 33-26 at the intermission.

The teams traded field goals to open the second half with Mount Ida holding a 35-28 margin at the 8:17 mark. The Sharks scored eight of the next 10 points, capped by a Zoldy jumper to cut the deficit to 37-36 with 3:36 left in the third period. Zoldy drained another jumper later in the quarter to keep Simmons within a point at 43-42 with 1:26 to play in the quarter, before sophomore guard Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) hit a pair of free throws to in the final minute of the period to give the Mustangs a 45-42 lead heading into the final period of play.

Mount Ida opened the period by scoring nine unanswered points to take a 54-42 cushion with 8:37 remaining in the game. Junior guard Katlyn Jesse (Mashfield, Mass.) buried a three-pointer at 5:43 to give the Mustangs its largest lead of the afternoon at 57-44. Mount Ida owned a 60-49 lead with 40 seconds to go in the contest, before the Sharks closed out the game on a 6-1 burst to set the final at 61-55.

Simmons will be in action again on Thursday, January 28 when it returns to Newton, Mass. to take on GNAC foe Lasell College at 7:00 p.m., while the Mustangs head to Northfield, Vt. on January 30 to play Norwich University at 1:00 p.m.