Newburgh, N.Y. – Freshman Megan Kerutis (Merrimack, N.H.) scored a career-high 15 points and was one of four players in double-figures, joining Kayla Cleare (West Hempstead, N.Y.) and Jessica Rini (Seaford, N.Y.) who each recorded their eighth double-double of the season, as the Mount Saint Mary Women's Basketball team pulled away from Farmingdale State on Tuesday for a 71-52 win. The First Round victory earns the Knight a semifinal round matchup with Sage on Thursday evening.
 
In a high scoring first quarter, the Knights used a 7-1 spurt to pull in front 13-6 on a Cleare lay-in at the midway point of the period. The Mount trailed only briefly in the early going of the first quarter and used a Kassidy Hallum (Lake Grove, N.Y.) triple in the closing seconds of the quarter to take a 22-17 lead after 10 minutes.
 
Mount Saint Mary jumped in front by eight points on a Bridget Kelly (Farmington, Conn.) three-point play in the early going of the second period and wouldn't fall behind until a 9-0 run by the Rams pushed them in front 34-32 with 2:28 left before halftime. The Knights would get back in front on another three-point play from Kelly, but a Kimberly Guterman bucket in the final half minute of the first half sent Farmingdale State into the intermission with a slim 37-35 lead.
 
The visiting Rams knocked down five three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes and shot 37.8-percent from the floor in building the two point advantage. The Knights were held to 36.4-percent shooting, but outscored Farmingdale State 20-8 in the paint and 12-7 in second chance scoring.
 
Farmingdale State jumped out to a five point lead, its largest of the game, twice in the third period. Chelsea May moved the Rams in front 40-35 on a free-throw with 7:28 left in the quarter and Camille Romero converted a transition bucket with just under four minutes to go in the frame to give the Rams a 44-39 advantage.
 
Mount Saint Mary battled back to take a 45-44 lead on a Cleare basket and closed the period on a 7-1 run, highlighted by a Rini three-point play, to carry a 52-47 lead into the final stanza.
Following a Cleare bucket with under 90 seconds left in the third quarter, the Knights would not trail again in the game and took a 57-47 lead early in the fourth quarter on a Daisha Madden (Baltimore, Md.) conversion with 8:56 left in regulation.
 
The Knights maintained a double-figure advantage from that point forward and allowed just 15 points after halftime in earning the win. The Mount took a game-high 22 point lead late in regulation time on a Rini bucket that pushed them in front 71-49.
 
Mount Saint Mary shot 42.1-percent from the floor after halftime and finished the game converting at 39.4-percent. The Mount dominated the glass in the game, outrebounding the Rams by 22 and turned 23 offensive rebounds into a 24-8 edge in second chance scoring. The Knights also dominated inside, outscoring Farmingdale State 42-14 in the paint.
 
Kertuis finished the game 6-for-15 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers on her way to her career-high point total. She added six rebounds and an assist in the win. Kelly joined Kerutis with 15 points on Tuesday, chipping in with five rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.
 
Rini equaled the game-high on Tuesday with 16 points and contributed two blocks and 13 rebounds in her eighth double-double of the season. Cleare scored 12 points for the Knights and led all players with 14 boards, joining Rini with eight double-doubles on the season.
 
Hallum came off the bench to score six points for the Knights and fellow freshman Elizabeth Limonta (Stewart Manor, N.Y.) hauled in nine rebounds for the Knights. Maite Gritsko (Milford, Conn.) and Cleare each handed out three assists.
 
Farmingdale State, who was held to 26.8-percent shooting, made just one three-pointer after halftime and was led by 16 points from Romero. Tyra Harrison chipped in with 12 points and three assists.
 
Tuesday's win moves Mount Saint Mary to 14-12 overall on the season. The Knights will travel to Sage for a 6:00 p.m. tip-off against the top-seeded Gators in Albany on Thursday. 

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