NEW YORK, NY – Trailing by as many as fourteen in the second half, the Mount Saint Mary College women's basketball team rallied to defeat Baruch College, 60-53, in non-conference action on Monday evening. The Blue Knights improved to 5-4 overall while the Bearcats dropped to 5-3.

Baruch led by five at the break and controlled the opening five minutes of the second half, eventually extending their lead to fourteen (36-22) when freshman Shadae Rice (Brooklyn, N.Y.) knocked down a three-pointer with 14:56 showing on the clock. After a Mount Saint Mary timeout, junior Jess Tice (Altamont, N.Y.) drained a triple that kicked off a 13-0 run for the Blue Knights. When junior Chrissy Zrowka (Brick, N.J.) hit one-of-two free throws at the 9:56 mark, the Mount had trimmed the Baruch advantage to one (36-35).

The Bearcats broke their five-minute scoring drought with a pair of free throws from junior Kalea Davis (Bronx, N.Y.) and then extended the lead back to five with a jumper from senior Karlee Whipple (Lund, Nevada). Mount Saint Mary responded with a six point run and a basket from junior Shannon Sangster (Syracuse, N.Y.) at the 5:58 mark gave the Blue Knights their first lead of the second half (41-40).

Mount Saint Mary conceded the lead just one more time in the game, allowing Baruch to take a one-point advantage when Rice hit a three-pointer to make it 44-43. Tice had the answer once again, nailing a three-pointer at the other end to give the Blue Knights the lead for good.

Leading 52-48 with just under a minute to play, Mount Saint Mary had a chance to salt the game away at the free throw line. The Blue Knights were just 8-for-16 from the line in the closing minute, but collected four offensive rebounds, forcing Baruch to continue fouling. The Bearcats never threatened in the final minute and the Mount left the floor with a 60-53 victory.

Both teams struggled with their shooting for the entire night. The Mount finished at 25.3-percent from the floor (19-for-75) while Baruch came in at 30.2-percent (19-for-63). The Blue Knights were just 3-of-17 from three-point range. The Bearcats also had difficulty holding on to the ball, committing 31 turnovers as compared to just 19 for Mount Saint Mary.

Zrowka led all scorers with 18 points, ten of which came from the charity stripe. Sangster finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Junior Meredith Paggi (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) and Tice joined them in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Whipple (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Davis (13 points, 14 rebounds) each had a double-double for the Bearcats. Senior Awa Diop (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) finished with 9 points and 10 rebounds.

Mount Saint Mary picks up their schedule in the New Year with a trip to Skyline Conference foe, Purchase College. The game is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start on Tuesday, January 6.