Newburgh, N.Y. – Sophomore Jessica Rini (Seaford, N.Y.) posted game-highs with 18 points and 14 rebounds on Tuesday, but the Mount Saint Mary College Women's Basketball team came up short to local rival New Paltz in its home opener by a score of 66-57.
 
The two teams finished a back-and-forth first quarter deadlocked at 19-19 before the Knights jumped in front 25-19 on a Rini jumper 1:16 into the second period. The lead proved to the Mount's biggest of the night, with New Paltz scoring the next eight points to move in front 27-25 with 6:25 left before halftime.
 
Mount Saint Mary tied the score three times over the final six minutes of the second quarter, with New Paltz scoring the four points of the half to carry a 35-31 lead into the intermission. Laura Stuart broke a 31-31 tie with a jumper and Courtney Irby closed out the scoring in the half with a pair of free-throws with 33 seconds left before the break.
 
Mount Saint Mary held the visitors to 22.2-percent shooting prior to the break, but New Paltz made two more three-pointers than the Mount and outscored the Knights 11-1 from the free-throw line. The Hawks used 16 offensive rebounds in the opening 20 minutes to outscore the Mount 11-2 in second chance opportunities.
 
Rini led all scorers in the first half with 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting, with Knights converting at a 38.9-percent clip prior to the halftime. Kayla Cleare (West Hempstead, N.Y.) and Brooke Dennin (Glenham, N.Y.) each knocked in a triple for the Knights in the first half and Maite Gritsko (Milford, Conn.) converted the Mount's only free-throw.
 
Mount Saint Mary put together an 8-3 run to open the third quarter to take its final lead of the game. Rini and Megan Kerutis (Merrimack, N.H.) scored all eight points, including a Kerutis lay-in that pushed the Knights in front 39-38 with 5:42 left in the third period.
 
Trailing by a point, New Paltz knocked in three straight three-point field goals to pull in front 47-39 with just under two minutes left in the third stanza. The Hawks pushed their lead to double-figures on an Irby jumper early in the fourth quarter and took their largest lead of the night, at 65-53, on a Taylor Howell free-throw with 1:12 left in regulation time.
 
New Paltz knocked down five three-pointers after halftime and finished the game 9-for-27 from behind the arc. Colleen Ames hit three triples in the second half and finished the game 4-for-10 from distance on her way to a team-high 17 points. Irby rounded out the game with a double-double, totaling 10 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Rini recorded her first double-double of the season after finishing the game 9-for-19 from the floor to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds. Kerutis finished the night 5-for-10 from the floor, adding three assists. Cleare totaled 10 rebounds and blocked four shots, with Elizabeth Limonta (Stewart Manor, N.Y.) blocking five shots in 10 minutes of work. Janae Graham (Orange, Conn.) led all players with five assists on the night.
 
Mount Saint Mary finished the game shooting 37.9-percent from the floor, going 3-for-6 from behind the arc. The Knights outscored New Paltz 24-14 in the paint, while the Hawks turned 22 Mount Saint Mary turnovers into 22 points.
 
Tuesday's loss drops Mount Saint Mary to 2-4 overall on the season. The Knights will return to action after Thanksgiving when they open league play against Yeshiva on November 30. Tip-off with the Maccabees is scheduled for 9:00 p.m.

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