Kings Point, N.Y. – Sophomore Kendall Francis (Great Neck, N.Y.) led five players in double-figures with a career-high 23 points as the Mount Saint Mary College Men's Basketball team won its third straight game with a hard fought 93-92 overtime win at the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Saturday afternoon.
 
After falling behind 28-15 just over nine minutes into the game, the Knights ripped off a 27-10 stretch to grab a 42-38 lead on a Francis lay-in with a half minute left before halftime. A James Walsh triple brought the Mariners to within a point before Gerard Nocera (Holmdel, N.J.) canned a triple at the horn to send Mount Saint Mary into the intermission with a 45-41 lead.
 
The Mount shot an efficient 55.2-percent from the floor in the first half, including a 5-for-12 effort from three-point range to build the advantage. Nocera paced the Knights with 13 points prior to the break, while USMMA was led by 17 first half points from Walsh.
 
Mount Saint Mary used a 12-2 run to open the second half to build a 57-43 lead on a Francis jumper and maintained a double-figure advantage until the 3:59 mark of the second half. The Mount's advantage grew to a game-high 17 points on a Daniel Wolff (Holtsville, N.Y.) three-pointer and did not fall under 10 points until a three-point play from Seth Barnes brought USMMA to within 78-69 with just under four minutes left in regulation.
 
USMMA pulled to within a single point twice in the final half minute of regulation, before a pair of Barnes free-throws with 13 seconds left knotted the score at 80-80. Each team missed an attempt in the closing seconds, including a three-point try from Walsh at the horn, sending the game into overtime.
 
USMMA maintained their momentum into the overtime period and jumped in front 85-82 on a Walsh three-pointer, but the Knights mounted a 7-0 run sparked by a Wolff triple and a three-point play from Nocera to surge in front 89-85 with under a minute left.
 
The Mariners quickly answered with a three-pointer to get back to within a point, but the Knights hit four free-throws down the stretch to hold off USMMA. The Mariners got a bucket at the horn down by three, but came up just a point short.
 
The Knights continued their hot shooting after halftime, shooting 52-percent in the second stanza and an even 50-percent in the overtime period. The Mount finished the game shooting 53.3-percent overall, including 11 three-pointers, while holding a 15-11 edge in second chance scoring and a 20-11 advantage in bench points.
 
Francis scored in double-figures for the second straight game and the sixth time this season, going 9-for-14 from the floor to go along with two rebounds and a pair of steals. Nocera scored a season-high 22 points on 7-for-15 shooting, adding six rebounds and a pair of assists to the winning effort.
 
Wolff reached double-figures for the second time in the last five games with 16 points, leading the team with nine rebounds and adding three assists. Andrew Holmes (Niskayuna, N.Y.) and Isaiah Robinson (Garfield, N.J.) each posted 10 points, with Holmes handing out four assists. Senior Tyler McDine (Suffern, N.Y.) led the team with five assists in the win.
 
USMMA, who shot 48.6-percent for the game and hit 12 triples, was led by a game-high 24 points from Walsh. Christian Wittendof finished with 21 points for the Mariners, with David Washington posting a game-high 10 rebounds and Walsh leading all players with six assists.
 
Saturday's win pushes Mount Saint Mary to 7-8 overall and 7-3 in Skyline Conference play. Next up for the Knights is a home date with St. Joseph's-L.I. on Tuesday night. Tip-off with the Golden Eagles is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.