Newburgh, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Women's Basketball team will look to claim its first Skyline Conference Crown since 2012 on Saturday when it plays host to second seeded Old Westbury in the 2018 Skyline Conference Women's Basketball Championship Final. Live Stats and Video will be available for those who cannot attend the contest.
 
Admission: Per Skyline Conference rules, admission will be charged for Thursday night's contest. Admission for adults will be $5 and children under the age of 12 will be $3. Students with a valid Skyline Conference institution ID will NOT be charged admission.
 
At A Glance: The Knights scored their 15^th straight win in the semifinal round of the championship Thursday night, cruising past the United States Merchant Marine Academy by a score of 57-34. Katie Smith (Goshen, N.Y.) and Kayla Cleare (West Hempstead, N.Y.) led the scoring attack with 11 and 10 points and the Mount Saint Mary defense held the Mariners to under 20-percent shooting for the game.
 
The Knights lead the Skyline Conference in scoring defense, allowing fewer than 50 points per game, including 34 on Thursday. The semifinal was the sixth time this season the Knights have allowed less than 40 points in a contest.
 
Cleare and Jessica Rini (Seaford, N.Y.) lead a balanced scoring attack that shows five players averaging at least five points per game. Rini leads the way with 13.0 points per contest and is adding 7.7 rebounds per game, while Cleare is good for just under 11 points per game and nearly nine rebounds per contest. Cleare is converting at 51.5-percent from the field heading into Saturday's tilt, while Rini is shooting 45.5-percent for the Knights.
 
Smith is posting 7.9 points per game following Thursday's output and is leading the team with 3.2 assists per outing, while Elizabeth Limonta (Stewart Manor, N.Y.) is coming off the bench to produce 8.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. Jordyn Hellpap (Hackensack, N.J.) is scoring just over six points per game and is handing out 2.6 helpers per night.
 
Scouting Old Westbury: The Panthers head to Newburgh winners of six straight contests, including a 60-48 victory over Farmingdale State in Thursday's semifinal round. Mount Saint Mary has handed Old Westbury two of its three losses on the season (22-3) and the Panthers have not lost since the Knights topped them 50-38 on February 1.
 
Charlotte Renker paces the scoring attack with 14.7 points per game for Old Westbury and is averaging a double-double with 12.6 rebounds per game to go along with better than two blocks per outing. Monique Joseph is scoring 14.1 points per game and leads the Skyline Conference with nearly five steals per game.
 
The Panthers lead the Skyline Conference in scoring offense, averaging nearly 79 points per game and are second in scoring defense, just behind the Knights at 51.1 points per outing.
 
Regular Season Series: The Knights took both matchups with the Panthers during the regular season, taking a 62-51 decision in Newburgh on January 3 and the aforementioned 50-38 road win on February 1.
 
In the home victory, Smith led the Knights with 15 points and Rini posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. The Knights shot 34.7-percent from the floor and 3-for-10 from bonus distance, but held Old Westbury to 29.8-percent shooting for the game.
 
On the road, the Knights stifled the Panthers, allowing them to convert at just 18.2-percent for the game. Rini posted 19 points and nine rebounds in the win and joined Cleare with three blocked shots in the game.
 
Skyline Conference Championship History: The Knights are making their first appearance in the conference final since 2012 and their 18^th appearance in the event over the last 19 seasons. The Knights are in search of their first conference crown since the 2011-12 season, the second of back-to-back titles and the 12^th in a 13-year span.
 
What's At Stake: A berth into the 2018 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship. The Knights are in search of their first appearance in the National Tournament since 2012, while Old Westbury is seeking their second trip in three seasons.