Newburgh, N.Y. - Sophomore Shannon Sangster (Syracuse, N.Y.) and junior Meredith Paggi (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) each scored 23 points as the Mount Saint Mary College women's basketball team defeated St. Joseph's College, 83-35, for their tenth consecutive victory. The Blue Knights improved to 23-2 on the year and clinched the regular season conference title by moving to 17-1 in Skyline play. The Golden Eagles dropped to 13-12 overall and to 11-7 in the conference.

Leading 21-14 with 9:19 remaining in the first, the Blue Knights closed the half on a 19-7 run and staked claim to a 40-21 advantage at the intermission. Sangster and Paggi combined for 13 points during the run and finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively, in the first half.

Out of the break, Sangster continued to dominate, scoring six of the first eight points for the Blue Knights as they pushed the lead to 48-26 with 16:37 to play. St. Joseph's sophomore Trish McMahon (North Patchogue, N.Y.) hit a jumper at 16:03 to cut the lead to twenty, but the Golden Eagles would get no closer. The Blue Knights executed a 19-0 run over the course of the next nine minutes to put the stamp on an impressive victory. Following the bucket by McMahon at the 16:03 mark, the Golden Eagles did not hit another field goal until McMahon converted a lay-up with 2:59 remaining in the game, a drought of thirteen minutes and four seconds.

Sangster was 10-for-13 from the field and also contributed 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Paggi was 9-for-16 from the floor and also tallied 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Senior Chantel Anthony (Middletown, N.Y.), playing in her first game back from a hand injury, dished out a team-high 6 assists. Junior LaSheila Augustin (Valley Stream, N.Y.) pulled down a team-high 10 boards.

McMahon finished with a team-high 14 points for the Golden Eagles, who shot just 23.4-percent from the field. They also turned the ball over twenty-three times. The Blue Knights out-rebounded St. Joseph's, 56-29, and held a 23-7 advantage on the offensive glass.

A pre-game ceremony honored the four seniors playing in the final home game for Mount Saint Mary. Anthony, Megan Kimmey (Troy, N.Y.), Vanessa Lawson (Kingston, N.Y.), and Jackie Markert (Voorheesville, N.Y.) received flowers and a gift from their teammates. Each player was honored with a standing ovation as they were removed from the game late in the second half.

Mount Saint Mary clinched the regular season Skyline title with the victory and will serve as the top seed in the Skyline Conference tournament. They will host the winner of a quarterfinal match-up between St. Joseph's and Purchase College on Thursday, February 28 in the Kaplan Center. The time of the game is still to be determined. St. Joseph's will host Purchase in the quarterfinal on Tuesday, February 26.