PURCHASE, N.Y. – Despite seeing its big lead dissipate late in the game, the Mount Saint Mary College women's basketball team (5-7, 1-1 Skyline) held on late to pick up its first Skyline Conference victory of the season with a 55-50 decision over Purchase College (2-9, 0-2 Skyline) Friday evening.
10 minutes into the first half, the Knights began to run away with the game by going up 24-4 on the home team. Senior guard
Lauren Romao (Brick, N.J.) made three three-pointers in that stretch to fuel the Knights to a big advantage early in the contest. The Knight lead reached 20 points after freshman forward
Jessica Rini (Seaford, N.Y.) scored five-straight points off the bench. The 20-point lead quickly fell to 10 after a 10-0 run by the Panthers, but the Knights quickly turned it around to score seven-straight points and go back up by 17. The Knights did not falter much down the stretch, taking a 31-19 lead into the break.
The Knights opened up the second frame with a 9-3 run to go up by 18 points. The Knight lead grew to as many as 19 points, but the Panthers slowly rallied back into the game. By the 3:59 mark in the second half, the Panthers got back within four points of the Knights after a 19-4 run. Sophomore guard
Marisa Delzio (Brewster, N.Y.) then notched four-straight points for the Knights, helping them hold on for the five-point victory in the final minutes.
Delzio scored a season-high 21 points to pace the Knights in Friday's victory. She also added six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Romao totaled 19 points with four threes, as well as a team-high eight boards and four steals of her own. Senior forward
Natalie Candarelli (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) contributed seven points and seven rebounds to the Knights' win.
Purchase's Allison Haugh and Elizabeth Osowiecki each scored 15 points and pulled down six rebounds to lead the Panthers. Jeidar Cole grabbed a game-best 10 rebounds and added eight points.
Both teams were nearly even in most statistical categories. The Panthers held a slight edge in shooting percentage, making 35.6 percent of their shots compared to 35.2 percent for the Knights. The Knights outrebounded their hosts, 38-34, and forced 26 turnovers while giving the ball away 25 times.
The Knights continue Skyline play on Sunday, Jan. 11, when they host St. Joseph's College (L.I.) at the Kaplan Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Follow the Knights on Twitter at
@MSMCKnights
