Newburgh, N.Y. - Junior
Morina Bojka (Prospect, Conn.) netted a career high 24 points and posted a double double along with senior
Lyndsay Pace (Cranford, N.J.) as the Mount Saint Mary College Women's Basketball team cruised to a season opening conference victory over Sarah Lawrence 81-43.
Early in the first quarter, Bojka rattled off a quick seven points as the Knights jumped out to a 7-3 lead. Following a two-pointer from Sarah Lawrence's Ana Srdanovic, the Mount rattled off an 8-0 run capped by four points from Pace. A fastbreak layup from
Kaitlyn Wolff (Holtsville, N.Y.) pushed the Knights lead to a quarter-high 15 points before a late Sarah Lawrence bucket.
The Gryphons cut the lead back to single digits in the second quarter after free throws from Camryn Davis cut the lead to eight points. The Mount went on an 8-0 run over the next four minutes as
Annie Keenan (Nesconset, N.Y.) scored four of the eight points.
Cameron Villanueva (Columbia, Conn.) scored a bucket with four seconds to go to give the Knights a 14 point lead at the half.
Bojka led a balanced scoring attack with nine points at the half along with eight rebounds. Keenan added six points while
Toriana Tabasco (Hillsdale, N.J.) pulled down six rebounds in the first half.
Lauren Desrats (Warwick, N.Y.) added five assists in the first half.
Mount Saint Mary's offense exploded in the third quarter as they outscored the Gryphons 30-9. After a Davis jumper cut the Gryphons deficit to 12, the Knights reeled off a 24-2 run to end the third period. Bojka scored 13 of the points during the run along with Pace adding six points. In the fourth quarter, a Villanueva three-pointer pushed the lead to a game-high 42 points with 6:39 remaining.
Bojka registered 15 points in nine minutes of action in the second half with Pace adding eight points and grabbing eight rebounds in half. The Knights finished with 13 assists on 20 made field goals in the half.
Bojka finished the contest with 24 points and 11 rebounds on 9-for-13 shooting while Pace added 12 points and 12 rebounds for her double-double. Keenan and Villanueva tallied 11 points apiece as Desrats garnered a team-high seven assists.
Davis led the Gryphons in points with 15 while Srdanvoic added 11. Jordyn Medina registered three assists, eight rebounds and five steals for Sarah Lawrence.
Mount Saint Mary finished the contest shooting 46.7 percent from the field and made six threes in the contest as Sarah Lawrence was limited to 24.3 percent from the field and made five threes. The Knights scored 26 points off turnovers and outscored the Gryphons 44-12 in the paint.
At 1-0 overall and 1-0 in Skyline Conference play, the Mount returns to action on Saturday afternoon as the Knights head to Dallas, Pa. to take on Misericordia in a non-conference tilt. Tip-off with the Cougars is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
