Newburgh, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College Women's Basketball team opens the 2019-20 season on the road against Skyline Conference foe Sarah Lawrence. Tip-off with the Gryphons is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Bronxville with Live stats and Video available for those unable to attend.
 
At A Glance: The Knights will have to replace two of its top scorers from a season ago as well as the top two rebounders after the graduation of Kayla Cleare and Elizabeth Limonta.
 
Sophomores Lauren Desrats (Warwick, N.Y.) and Annie Keenan (Nesconset, N.Y.) return for the Knights after combining for 15 points a game while junior Katie Smith (Goshen, N.Y.) averaged 10.3 points per contest last season.
 
Backcourt: Smith and Desrats return as the two starters from the guard position a year ago along with sophomore Toriana Tabasco (Hillsdale, N.Y.) who led the team in steals with 39 and was fourth in assists with 41. Senior Lyndsay Pace (Cranford, N.J.) also returns for the Knights after adding six points per game and was third in three pointers with 28 made.
 
Returning sophomores Julia Lavin (Ledyard, Conn.), Kaitlyn Wolff (Holtsville, N.Y.) and Cameron Villanueva (Columbia, Conn.) will all vie for playing time in the backcourt in addition to freshman newcomer Katelyn McCann (Blooming Grove, N.Y.).
 
Frontcourt: Keenan is the lone returner from the front court from a season ago as she averaged just under seven points per game and six rebounds last season. Junior Morina Bojka (Prospect, Conn.) also returns after adding 5.5 points and four rebounds in just over 13 minutes a game last year.
 
Junior Gabriella Rafaniello (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also returns from a season ago along with sophomore Kylie Sisto (Ballston Lake, N.Y.). Freshman Daniela Yannaco (Staten Island, N.Y.) is the lone newcomer in the frontcourt for the Knights.
 
Head Coach: Colleen Ames begins her first season at the helm of the Knights as she was hired following former head coach Michael Coppolino accepting a new job at perennial powerhouse George Fox. Ames was the interim head coach at Clarkson during the 2018-19 season before being hired by Mount Saint Mary.

The Schedule: The Mount opens the season in conference play before heading to Misericordia for a non-league showdown on Saturday. Mount Saint Mary then returns to conference play to take on Yeshiva (11/21) and Manhattanville in the home opener on Saturday, November 23. The Knights will play non-conference games with Hunter (11/26), College of Staten Island (12/14), Middlebury (12/31) and Sage (1/2) before heading into the majority of the conference schedule.
 
What's Next: The Knights head to Dallas, Pa. to take on Misericordia on Saturday in a non-conference contest. Tip-off with the Cougars is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.