NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College women's basketball team (8-9, 3-2 Skyline) outscored Purchase College (3-15, 1-7 Skyline) by 14 points in the second half to pick up a 69-60 Skyline Conference victory Tuesday evening at the Kaplan Center.
Turnovers were the difference in the second frame, as the Knights forced 13 giveaways while only turning the ball over six times. This led to an 18-5 differential in points off turnovers in the second half, enough to help the Knights overcome a five-point deficit going into the half. The Knights also managed to keep possessions going, as they grabbed 17 offensive boards as part of their 31 total rebounds in the second stanza.
Purchase went 6-of-10 (60 percent) from three-point range in the first half, all six coming from Michelle Rupelli, who led all scorers at the break with 22 points. The Knights went down by as many as nine points late in the opening frame, but quickly turned it around with a 10-0 run coming out of a timeout to take a one-point lead at 33-32. Purchase stole the momentum back to close out the half on a 6-0 run to take a 38-33 lead into the locker room.
The Panthers immediately went on the attack out of the gate in the second half, scoring six straight points to take an 11-point advantage. The Knights still trailed by nine with 10:11 to play, but this is where the turning point of the game took place. Elizabeth Osowiecki was called for a charge, picking up her fifth foul and disqualifying her from the game. The Panthers came into the game with just one reserve on the bench, and she was forced into the game with nobody left to play.
The Knights immediately capitalized as junior guard
Nicole Scicutella (Massapequa, N.Y.) drained a three on their next possession. Freshman forward
Bridget Kelly (Farmington, Conn.) followed with a good layup before Purchase got two points back. The Knights then scored the next eight points to take a two-point lead, but Purchase did not give up yet and tied the game on the next play at 59-59.
Junior guard
Lauren Romao (Brick, N.J.) took the lead back for the home team with a good jumper in the paint on the next possession. This sparked an 8-0 run for the Knights, which eventually became a 10-1 run across the final 4:22 to close out the game with a nine-point edge.
Sophomore guard
Marisa Delzio (Brewster, N.Y.) contributed all over the court with 20 points, seven steals, six assists and four rebounds. Kelly grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, including nine on the offensive boards, and added eight points. Freshman forward
Jessica Rini (Seaford, N.Y.) added 15 points and seven rebounds, as well as a pair of blocks.
Rupelli was held to just three points in the second half, but led all scorers with 25. Jeidar Cole scored 16 and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double.
The Knights held a height advantage in the game, leading to an edge in rebounds (54-43), as well as a 34-18 advantage in points in the paint. Depth was also beneficial for the Knights, as the bench contributed 16 points.
Riding a three-game winning streak, the Knights now face a home-and-home series with Farmingdale State College at the end of this week. They will travel to Farmingdale for a road Skyline contest with the Rams at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5. They will follow that up by hosting the Rams on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m. at the Kaplan Center.
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