Newburgh, N.Y. – Sophomore Jessica Rini (Seaford, N.Y.) scored a game-high 18 points and freshmen Kayla Cleare (West Hempstead, N.Y.) and Elizabeth Limonta (Stewart Manor, N.Y.) posted career-high rebound totals on Monday in a 54-27 conference victory over visiting Yeshiva.
 
Mount Saint Mary never trailed in the game and used a 12-4 run over the final 7:06 of the first quarter to take an 18-7 lead after 10 minutes of play. The Knights held the Maccabees without a field goal for the first 2:58 of the second stanza and moved in front 37-13 in the final seconds before halftime on a pair of Brooke Dennin (Glenham, N.Y.) free throws.
 
The Knights allowed just five field goals to the Maccabees in the first 20 minutes and shot 42.4-percent from the floor prior to the break in building the 24 point advantage. Rini scored all 18 of her points in the game in 15 minutes of work in the first half, going 8-for-10 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
 
The Mount pushed its lead to 31 points midway through the third quarter on a three-point play from Cleare and did not allow Yeshiva closer than the final 27 point decision the rest of the night. The Knights grabbed their biggest lead of the game late in regulation when a Maite Grtisko (Milford, Conn.) bucket ballooned the advantage to 54-19.
 
The Knights struggled from the floor after halftime, going 8-for-29 as a team, including an 0-for-4 effort from behind the arc. Seven different players scored for the Knights after halftime on Monday, including four points from Gritsko in the second half.
 
Rini finished the game 8-for-14 from the field with seven rebounds, closing the night as the only player to reach double-figures in the game. Cleare added seven points and a career-high 15 rebounds, adding four blocked shots. Monday's tilt marked the third straight game with double-figure rebounds for Cleare.

Limonta finished up with a career-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points and three blocks. Gritsko led the team with four assists and chipped in with four points, two steals and a block. Bridget Kelly (Farmington, Conn.) swiped four steals of the Knights and secured three rebounds.
 
Overall, Mount Saint Mary finished the night shooting 35.5-percent from the floor and went 1-for-7 from behind the arc. Janae Graham (Orange, Conn.) connected on the Mount's only three-point field goal of the game.
 
Tuesday's win stops a two game skid for the Knights and moves them to 3-4 overall and to 1-0 in conference play. Next up for the Mount is a home date with Sage on Wednesday. Tip-off with the Gators is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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