Box Score NEWBURGH, N.Y. - Mount Saint Mary College senior Carlos Valdez (Carolina, Puerto Rico) scored 32 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead the Knights to a 71-44 Skyline Conference victory over the Sage Colleges on Wednesday evening.  The Knights improved to 14-5 overall (9-3 Skyline), while the Gators dropped back to 9-10 overall (5-8 Skyline).

Leading 29-23 at the half, the Knights edged away with a 7-0 in the first ninety seconds of the second half.  A fastbreak layup from Valdez at 18:36 gave the Mount an 11-point cushion at 36-25.  Then, leading by nine, Mount Saint Mary strung together an 8-0 run to push the lead to 17.  Sage wouldn't threaten and the Knights cruised down the stretch for the 27-point victory.
 
Valdez was a monster, hitting on 13-of-19 from the field and 6-of-7 at the line for a career-high 32 points, eclipsing his previous career high of 30 (February 11, 2010 against NYU-Poly).  The senior punctuated his night with a fast break dunk in the second half and left the game with 3:33 remaining to a rousing ovation from the Kaplan Center faithful.  His 18 rebounds were a season-high, but two short of his career-high of 20.
 
Senior Kevin Milella (Floral Park, N.Y.) was the next highest scorer for the Mount, finishing with nine points and six boards.  Junior Chris Frey (Old Brookville, N.Y.) added eight points off the bench, while sophomore Donte Howell (Baldwin, N.Y.) dished out six assists.
 
Sage sophomore Mason Horne (Albany, N.Y.) led the Gators with 13 points on 6-of-13 from the field.  Sage struggled to find the range for most of the night, connecting at just 31.1-percent from the field.  The Gators failed to make a three-pointer on 13 attempts.
 
The Knights will host SUNY College at Old Westbury on Saturday as they look to solidify their position among the Skyline leaders.  The tip is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., immediately following the women's game.