Newburgh, N.Y. – Sophomore Jordyn Hellpap (Hackensack, N.J.) scored a team-high 11 points and senior Jessica Rini (Seaford, N.Y.) hit a jumper with 2.8 seconds left to break at 59-59 tie as the Mount Saint Mary College Women's Basketball team won its sixth straight victory with a thrilling 61-59 non-conference win over New Paltz Monday night.
 
After allowing 24 points in the first period on Monday, the Knights settled in and allowed just 19 points over the next two frames. The Knights overcame an early 15-4 deficit with a 16-9 stretch to pull to within four points at the end of 10 minutes of play. The Knights went 7-for-9 from the floor over the run and had seven different players find the scoring column.
 
New Paltz ran its lead back out to eight points early in the second frame and maintained the lead until Janae Graham (Orange, Conn.) buried a three-pointer in the final minute of the second quarter to take a 34-33 lead into the intermission.
 
After allowing the quick start to the Hawks, the Mount held New Paltz to just 33.3-percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes, while converting at 46.9-percent for the half. New Paltz outscored the Mount by 10 from the free-throw line prior to halftime and knocked in five triples to four for the Knights. Hellpap paced the Knights with six first half points, while Marion Dietz and Rachel Simon led all players with eight points for New Paltz.
 
The lead changed hands three times in the early stages of the third period on Monday, before the Knights jumped in front 42-37 on a Kayla Cleare (West Hempstead, N.Y.) lay-in that capped a quick 8-2 run for the Knights.
 
Mount Saint Mary spread its lead out to eight points twice in the first four minutes of the final period, before New Paltz rallied with a 5-0 run covering just over two minutes to knot the score at 59-59. Demi Herasme got the game even with a pair of free-throws in the final 10 seconds.
 
Coming out of a timeout, Cleare found Rini on the right wing and she buried her second field goal of the second half to get the Mount in front by two points. New Paltz had a final look to tie at the horn, but a Dietz jumper rimmed out at the buzzer.
 
Mount Saint Mary held New Paltz to 25-percent shooting after halftime and 0-for-8 from behind the arc. The Knights shot better than 41.-percent after the break with Hellpap connecting on the only three-point field goal of the second half.
 
Hellpap reached double-figures for the third time this season after going 3-for-5 from three-point range and hitting the Knights' only two free-throws of the evening. She added three assists and two rebounds in the win. Rini and Elizabeth Limonta (Stewart Manor, N.Y.) each scored eight points with Cleare leading the team with seven rebounds and four assists.
 
New Paltz was led by a game-high 19 points from Dietz and got double-figure efforts from Madison Van Pelt and Simon with each player handing out three assists. Van Pelt closed out a double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
Mount Saint Mary closed the night shooting 44.3-percent overall and doubled up the Hawks in bench scoring, 28-14.
 
At 12-5 overall, Mount Saint Mary returns to Skyline Conference play on Wednesday when it plays host to Purchase. Tip-off with the Panthers is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.