Purchase, N.Y. – Junior Jessica Rini (Seaford, N.Y.) led four players in double-figures with a game-high 18 points as the Mount Saint Mary College Women's Basketball team eased to its sixth straight win with an 80-45 road victory at league rival Purchase. The Knights, who shot nearly 55-percent from the field, move to within one win of matching the program's best start to a season.
 
In a back-and-forth opening period, the Knights found themselves trailing 5-0, before rallying to take their first lead of the game when a Megan Kerutis (Merrimack, N.H.) jumper pushed the Mount in front 6-5. Purchase moved back in front on a triple from Frances Minaya, but the Knights closed the period on a 10-2 run to take a 24-19 lead after 10 minutes of play.
 
Mount Saint Mary broke the game open in the second quarter with a 14-0 run capped by a Jordyn Hellpap (Hackensack, N.J.) three-pointer with 4:10 left before halftime. Hellpap scored eight points in the run that pushed the Knights in front 38-21.
 
Rini gave the Knights a 20 point advantage with a lay-in with 98 seconds left before the break and Kerutis sent the Mount to the intermission with a pair of free-throws with three seconds left in the half and a 49-26 lead.
 
The Mount shot nearly 59-percent from the floor prior to halftime, with Rini scoring 14 first half points on 6-for-10 shooting. Kerutis tallied 11 points in the first half on 4-for-7 shooting. The Mount Saint Mary defense held Purchase to a 36-percent conversions rate over the first 20 minutes.
 
The 23 point disadvantage at halftime would be as close as Purchase would get the remainder of the night. The Knights converted at an even 50-percent in the second half and took a game-high 35 point lead four times, including on a Bridget Kelly (Farmington, Conn.) bucket that gave the Mount the final 80-45 decision in the final half minute of play.
 
Rini led all players and reached double-figures for the first time this season after going 8-for-12 from the floor. She added 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Kerutis finished with 11 points and five assists, while Kayla Cleare (West Hempstead, N.Y.) rounded out the night with 15 points and nine rebounds.
 
Kelly came off the bench to score 12 points for Mount Saint Mary with Hellpap and Janae Graham (Orange, Conn.) each netting eight points.
 
The Knights shot better than 50-percent for the second time this season, converting at a season best 54.7-percent on Tuesday. The Mount outscored Purchase 40-12 in the paint and 14-1 in second chance points after securing 13 offensive rebounds.
 
Tuesday's win pushes Mount Saint Mary to 6-0 overall and to 3-0 in Skyline Conference play. The Knights will return home on Sunday afternoon when they play host to Yeshiva. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.